To Soar into the Sunset: A Night Fury's Odd Memoir
by Fjord Mustang
Summary: HTTYD with a Robert Heinlein twist. Not AU. A skilled flying warrior is shot down on a spy mission. Trapped & unable to fly, his one hope for survival& success is to attempt communication with the alien who shot him down. Can they be allies? New text!
1. The Ground Is A Harsh Mistress

**To Soar Into the Sunset: Being the Memoirs of a Rather Irregular Night Fury **

_(a.k.a "How to Train Your Dragon with a Robert Heinlein Plot Twist")_

**Author´s Notes: (More Like Author's Encylopedia Britanica Volume I Nerd Edition Version 2.5, but just for this chapter): **When I saw "How to Train Your Dragon" I could not get it out of my head how much Hiccup's nararation sounded like what you would read from a character in a Robert Heinlein novel- funny, sarcastic but also very thought provoking, too. I then thought it could be fun to write the movie novelization as though Robert Heinlein had written it (since he did write a lot of science fiction for young adults). I wrote it from Toothless' point of view. (It gives a chance to view us humans as an alien species, and we can be really weird.) First off: I can imitate Heinlein's style in a basic way, but it is just a poor imitation. If you can grab one of his books, do so. It's worth it. He´s influenced a lot of what we know about sci fi and even some fantasy novels today. And he had a great sense of humor that actually is timeless, so you´ll hopefully get a good laugh, too. Just keep in mind, he's a product of his time- some of his views can seem backwards to modern sensibilities, such as concerning women- but for his time, he was one of the first SF writers to portray women as smart, independent and competent. Second: I love Heinlein´s writing style, but I am not from a military or engineering background, so I am sorry that this is not "Starship Troopers." It's more like his "low tech", sociological and time travel novels like "Glory Road," "Job: A Comedy of Justice", "Stranger in a Strange Land" or, yes, "To Sail Beyond the Sunset (Being the Memoirs of a Somewhat Irregular Lady)." This is a PG rated version of Heinlein, so it is hopefully family friendly, just with the T rating (Life in 11th century Northern Europe was pretty tough, violent and grimy). Also: there is a bit of history tampering in this, so if you see it, keep an eye on it... it could because of a mistake on my part, but it could also be a part of the plot... :-)

**Disclaimers: **Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks own the rights to the HTTYD universe, and the rest of us are grateful to them. (A moment of bowing and respect to these good folks). Also, all quotes at the beginning of each chapter are from Robert Heinlein.

So, Read and Review. It's my first Fan Fiction and I am sure I am older than many people on this site, but I am always open to learning new things...

**Chapter 1: The Ground is a Harsh Mistress **

_"A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill."-_ "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long"

**Author Note: **The People (dragons) have their own way of measuring time, but to make it simpler, I have used the human measurements (days, months, hours, etc.)

When I woke up this morning I was lying in a most uncomfortable cord-vine and stone body trap with a lynx, a downed dragon and, some distance away, a brutally mangled tree. The smell of crushed plants and broken branches filled the air and there were some nasty blood stains on the rope trap.

This, I thought to myself, was not a good way to begin the day.

I may be young, but my line of work so far has put me in some weird circumstances. I've shared sleeping quarters with a wandering phoenix, a horse who thought it was a dragon and, one time, a troll men's choir. I've just never been in a situation where I have awakened as a prisoner.

The lynx I have seen before. We have a very genial relationship where we ignore each other. The tree I knew nothing about, except the poor thing had already been dead before it had been mangled. The dragon I know on a very intimate basis since, I am ashamed to say, I am that dragon.

And, yes, I am ashamed, because I should never, ever, have gotten myself into this position. My people have never been captured-or even seen for that matter- by these Birch Island Firemakers. The Lightning People are the top of the food chain, the one every other creature fears. Even the other dragon folk have a healthy respect for us because of our firepower and excellent aim.

The elderly lynx snarled ferociously and I, remembering my manners, gave an equally threatening and tooth bearing snarl. Pleasantries aside, she proceeded to walk around me, checking out the damage. When she came back to me her eyes were sad. She was quite confounded by this cord-vine trap. It seemed the Firemaker who had designed it had made sure I was not going anywhere. The lynx folded back her furry ears as we both heard the bushes above us crash. Something clumsy slid down the hill and then we were both confronted by...

... more lynx! (Oh, rapturous joy). This was a young mother and her two cubs on a hunting/learning expedition. The kids were awfully cute and if I were not tied up and in terrible pain I would have enjoyed seeing their tumbling antics. As it was, the mother gathered them together and gazed at me with as much surprise as the older lynx by my side.

Then the young mother began explaining to her cubs about how I, one of the mighty Lighting People, had been captured in this trap by the evil Firemakers. If something as powerful as I could be caught, then what could a lynx expect? Therefore... stay away from Firemakers! They can make all sort of evil things appear out of their front paws that hurt wild creatures, things of fire and metal teeth and even these vines with stones. You don't want to be like that silly Lightning Person, do you, kids?

I snarled softly. I have nothing against home schooling (I was home schooled myself, actually), but I resent it when parents have to make everything into a Life Lesson!

So I immediately began radiating images of casual coolness. I had intended this all along and the new cord contraption was a relaxing way to enjoy a nice, sunny morning. It enhanced the experience with its sleek lines and stylish design. I was in absolutely no danger.

The mother lynx snorted and growled at me, not buying it. Her cubs did, and that is what matters. She led them off, the smallest one asking his mother why they could not get a cool rope contraption like I was wearing. Please?

Even if the vine trap makes it impossible for me to get enough air in to shoot a flame, I still could try to have dignity.

The older lynx ducked her head to me in polite respect and touched her nose to me. She understood my position and was worried for me. Her people get caught in traps and sometimes wait for days to be found by Firemakers. Sometimes the lynx chews off a foot to get free, accepting freedom for a slower death as a result of the amputation. The Firemakers of this birch tree island have some compassion (at least for lynxes) and give a quick end with a heartfelt prayer of sorrow and a song of gratitude to the lynx for its life giving pelt. The end will be quick for me, too, she hopes. She bounds off into the bushes, wishing the gods to help me.

Ha, ha. She is a lynx, someone the horned Firemakers revere as a powerful nature spirit. I am a dragon, the essence of their trickster god on earth. They hate my kind. Worse, I am a Lightning Person, what they call a Nightfurygetdown, the most hated of the People. And they've never even seen me in the flesh! At the very least they will take my hide and my head. At the worst, they will keep me alive as a prisoner for their younglings to play with and learn how to kill my kind, poking their iron sticks into me as I eventually die of mistreatment.

I shuddered against my bindings. It's so ironic, really. How is it that I, one of the most agile of my species, one assigned to this difficult Signaler sector in spite of my youth, get knocked out of the sky this way? The first of my people to be captured!

I, a **powerful adolescent male... **

_Errggh. Okay. I just answered my own question. _

Admit it, buddy. You got where you were because you were right where you should not have been. Showing off, as usual. I should have just been an observer, lending some fire power here and there at the upper sweep of the invading force. My first directive is to be a signal coordinator on an island close to this one, relaying directions to my People flying through the area so they stay away from dangerous rock terrain and do not stray off their course into the dangerous sea. My second directive is as an undercover agent, scoping out why these People in this westernmost quadrant of the North Atlantic Sector (the Hebrides Island/South Iceland sector, if you want to be specific) have such unusual behavior. A primal directive of our kind is that we never steal food from Firemakers. It just complicates things that are already complicated between our species. These People have been doing it for hundreds of years, raiding the Firemakers of Birch Island and no one knows why. The horned Firemakers never move away. My People keep coming back on a more and more frequent basis. It's reached a stalemate and, honestly, something is going to come to loggerheads here and both species will destroy each other. My predecessor in this job died trying to find the answer to this question. As did the Lightning Person before him.

Looks like I will be the next one on the list, but I only have myself too blame. I got too much into my role. I have always been very good at hitting every target. It's part of my personal code that I do not shoot to kill Firemakers, but it is fun to scare them a little. I also loved their ant-like work ethic. I could knock down their adorable flaming torches and those sweet chunky command towers. Within a week, they would have nicely built them back up for me to shoot them down again, this time trying a different angle to add some extra challenge. The thrill of the dive, the wind against my wings, the the challenge of hitting a tower at a particularly awkward angle, the sound of the fire rising in my throat like a screaming ghost, that beautiful blast of indigo plasma that hits so clean... these are things that make life worth living! And being able to rise back into the clouds with no one seeing me, hearing behind me the invigorating cry of NIGHTFURYGETDOWN! Life just does not get more perfect than this.

I considered Target Practice one of the job perks of my spy mission. I had some fun, I helped protect my People while gathering some useful intelligence on their behavior... and I gave the Firemakers a healthy workout and a useful purpose in their lives to build new towers for me to shoot down.

Tonight should have been more fun than most. The Night Lady had opened her eye wide, and we had a full moon. Even better, we were able to rouse the Firemakers from their sleep, giving us a great advantage. They sometimes sense us coming first, so are ready for us. The element of surprise means my colleagues were able to catch a few more sheep and ponies than usual before the flaming towers went up and I went into action. I was relieved to see that no Firemaker children were taken tonight, though a Lava Person got awfully close to blasting one weedy Firemaker youngling who was weaving a path into the main area of the village. It looked around with an insane look of wonder. The only thing that saved it was the alpha male leader of the tribe grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and threw it to safety. (Ahhh, the old scruff of the neck strangle. It brings back fond memories of my kittenhood, it does!)

I like to pretend I am tough, but it sickens me when the Firemaker's children get carried off by my People. Some of my People even seem to enjoy it, a totally unnatural instinct for us. It does not escape me that most of these Birch Island Firemakers are big and stocky, and there is a reason not many are small and slender.

All the People were out tonight, and they all had those strange glazed eyes that creep me out. They seemed grateful I am here, but no one noticed me when I bailed him or her out of a difficult postion with my plasma bolts. I was taking mental recordings of their actions, hoping for a clue of why they were doing this thievery. When they invaded, sometimes only the Self Burners came (hell, they always come first and leave last). But if everyone comes to the celebration, then you know there is something serious in the works. Tonight I saw the usual nasty Self Burner (a queen this time; probably the Firemaker Alpha Male and she will come to blows tonight). I also saw a flock of persnickety Magnesium People trying to bring down a herd of sheep. They are small like me, but their fire power keeps them having to hunt in packs. My plasma flame is very intense and is better for hunting alone. I saw Lava People uprooting fish-drying racks . They are my personal favorites of the people of this group- they may not have my sleek looks, but their honesty and loyalty is something I appreciate. The two headed Folk are here tonight as well, setting dwellings on fire in their Strike One, Strike Two gas and spark strategy. And, amazingly enough, we even have the most dangerous (except for me) of the People, the tiny Sticky Fire People. They can do some nasty damage with that propane flare of theirs. Firemakers fear them and rightly so.

I flew high overhead, lending cover where I could, and laughing in joy when I got in a particularly good strike at a Firemaker installation. It collapsed in a beautiful way, one where the blue fire and red met in a nice braided display. It takes some good shooting power to get that kind of destruction. My mind recorded this image and I hoped I would impress a lovely lady at the next Lightning Person Convocation.

I heard the fear filled chant of NIGHTFURYGETDOWN and let out a whoop of joy, somersaulting backwards just for the fun of it. (If you happen to have wings, try a backward somersault sometime. I bet you'll like it.)

_::Show off! :: _one of the Magnesium People snorted at me. Like most Magnesium people she seemed to have a tail quill lodged into her body the wrong way, giving her a nasty attitude. Most of the Magnesium People consider me useless because I do not go for stealing the sheep or trying to kill Firemakers. And I hunt alone, and I am the only one of my kind, and blah blah blah. Oh, and I have freckles. That's a weird offense, but one I have tallied up to sheer jealousy since the Magnesium People are a bit on the vain side. They have every marking under the sun, but not freckles. Therefore I have committed some horrific crime.

_::Why can't you grow up? This is serious business here!::_ She added another angry mental blast.

_::Thank you, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever told me. I will treasure your kind words. ::_ I executed a perfect bow from the air. _::If you'll excuse me, I'll go off and do some growing up now. Hopefully molting does not bother you? Or do you prefer the cocoon method?::_

She blasted a magnesium bolt at me which, of course, I evaded, and I went invisible, using my naturally dark (and freckled) hide to blend in with the clear starry night.

So, all was well on this lovely, starry night. I soared down and planned my next move.

_::Give me something to shoot at. Give me something to shoot at.::_

I sighted the western tower, Perhaps this time I could go down doing a shot under my left shoulder to make it a bit harder. I pulled in my teeth to give the plasma bolt a clean shot, and I was just about to dive down when the most amazing thing happened.

There was not a cloud in the sky, but I got hit by a bolt of lightning.

I'm usually the one making the lightning, not getting hit by it, so I am just guessing that was how it would feel. My memories go a little cattywhompus here, but I there was a nasty CRACK! sound and then some hideous hissing as a heavy vine web of some sort clamped down on me. Suddenly I was falling, my wings pressed to my side, and my breath choking off until it was too constricting to shoot fire. I used my remaining full breath to roar in anger, a totally useless gesture.

Then I was falling towards the tree canopy, rolling over and over until I lost all sense of direction. I remember hitting against a big pine tree and felt it break in two. I felt my tail catch in the crack where the tree broke in the middle. The rest of me kept falling. I felt a sudden sharp pain, but gravity helped make sure my back half fell from that tree...with a nasty tearing sound. Then I was on the ground, skidding, gravity dragging me down a hill, carving a ditch with my dragging body, and then smashing up against a rock that bordered the edge of a deep canyon. Stars danced against my eyes for a moment and then all went dark.

And then, I woke up lying on my right side, very dizzy, with a lynx, a dead tree and me. And now you know why I am here and not up in the air where I should be.

* * *

The elderly lynx was now gone. A mist had settled around into the canyon, but the day was otherwise getting warmer. I realized I had never been on the ground this long in my life. I am a creature of the air. Whenever I am not flying, I am sleeping in caves located high above the ground. Even if there is no cave, then I try to sit on the highest rock formation I can find, but never the ground! I felt trapped by the canopy of trees covering the sky, almost strangled. Where was the sun? The clouds? How can anyone live in this perpetual green semi- darkness! Disgusting slimy grubs crawled beneath me. Insects flew onto my body, licking at the blood from the cords digging into my hide. I was also aware of dried blood crusting my tail and hindquarters from having my back half ripped down from the tree. A lot of it. Probably explains why I was so dizzy. Lovely. I could imagine no clearer way to invite wild predators to the all you could eat buffet than the way I lay just now.

Luckily, I was left at peace, hearing the sound of insects chirring and frogs croaking. Exhaustion kicked in and I found myself drifting to sleep. I'd need my strength to hold off night predators so I should be happy for the mercy.

A slight weight pressing in on my exposed left shoulder wakened me! I heard an unfamiliar growl in a language of no forest creature, something threatening but also tinged with fear. I flinched and let out a roar of shock. The pressure on my shoulder shifted and I heard a crashing of branches and leaves as the terrifying predator pulled its foot off my shoulder and righted itself. The powerful iron and fire smell of a Firemaker filled my nose. Dizzy, stunned, I opened my eyes and looked right into the face of the hideous, evil, terrifying, ferocious, murderous Firemaker who had come to claim my hide and head.

A thought crashed through my fevered mind:

_:: Arrrrrgggggh! The gods have a sense of humor!::_

The Firemakers had sent the village runt to kill me. I moaned. This was, indeed, the worst day of my life.

The runty Firemaker was posed above me, breathing hard, so thin that I could have sneezed and sent it to the moon. I could have had pity on it and remembered I used to be that thin, too, but I was not feeling too kindly at the moment. I could have considered, too, that it had been just coming out of a fight where it had been surrounded by ash and fire. Who knows, doubtful as it is, it might have been part of the fighting force? Then it had gone right out of its home territory in search of me and been traipsing all over the toolies, pushing through brambles, splashing through swamps and slipping down mossy hills. Covered with soot and ash, muddy, sweaty, insect bitten and scratched up on its face and front paws, it was a right royal mess. Just like me.

But you'll have to forgive me. My manners were not my best at the moment. And I don't think it was in the best mood either. What can I say? I think both of us felt hate at first sight!

The runty Firemaker stank of iron and fear-sweat and sheep and the skins of the animals it wore over its unwashed body (I thought its hide coverings were some blend of sheep wool, bear pelt, and elk and aurochs). Its greasy, shaggy and colorless head fur hung down into its eyes, hiding its gaze from me. What I could see of its eyes had a mad, feral glint in the pupils. I was actually amazed it did not have horns like most of its brethren. Probably because it was a mutant. Yuck. Oh, just yuck.

I still did not understand the language of these people very well, so whatever incantations it was saying over me were confusing. It held a rather businesslike little iron tooth in its shaking paws over my chest and chanted something in that gruff, growling, hissing, sing song language these horned Firemakers have. The only thing I caught was something that sounded like:

"'Ek er víkingr! EK ER VÍKINGR!"

Then I caught the final realization, the one that completely broke my spirit. I could pick up, under the mud and sweat the actual scent of the Firemaker. It matched the scent coming from the rope trap on me.

This young Firemaker had been the one to bring me down! This was not their village idiot. This was their most cunning warrior, the one whose front paws were strong enough to knock me out of the sky. I should have known. My people are the most feared and we are small and sleek. Why should it not be the same for the Firemakers? I just hoped it did not want to torture me slowly but would kill me quickly.

Filled with terror and fear, I moaned and closed my eyes, dropping my head to the ground. I offered my neck in the hope of a clean sacrifice.

_::Do as you will:: _I told it.

And... nothing happened. The Firemaker stopped chanting and then gave a little sob like breath. It said something that sounded like it was disappointed- "Ek gerði þetta."

I heard it walk away from me. It seemed to be debating with itself.

_Oh, please don't leave me here to die like this!_

Soft steps back to my side. Then a strange sense of release as the rope sprang loose from my side.

I opened my eyes, dizzily focusing back to reality. The Firemaker was actually using its magical front paws and the iron tooth to cut me loose of its trap! It muttered something I did not understand as it did this. And then I was... free!

Never one to waste an opportunity, my hunting instincts kicked in, and suddenly I was on my feet. I knocked the Firemaker's hind paws out from beneath it, and it fell back against the moss covered stone behind it. My move must have knocked the breath from it, because it started choking in terror under my front paw, the way I had just been gasping in the vine trap.

_::How does it feel?:: _I thought-sent back to it, willing it to feel every bit of pain and humiliation it had given me. _:: Look in my eyes and tell me how YOU like being imprisoned!:: _

It did not understand me, and I did not expect it too, but it did understand my intent. It bleated a bit in fear, but it did not scream or struggle for its life. Instead, shaking in terror, it looked up to me and stared me right back.

I almost swear it was telling me: Do as you will.

I ignored that and debated the best way to put it out of my misery. Bite its head off? Tear out its throat with my claws? Blast it with my plasma? But, first, maybe let's tear the eyes out of its head.

_Its eyes... its eyes... its eyes. Oh, great Sky Mother... it has eyes just like mine! _

I was not expecting that. I am not from this part of this world, and in my journey here I have seen many Firemakers. Most Firemakers have brown eyes. The people of the region where I grew up have gold or gray eyes. The ones of this region have blue or grey eyes. This was the first Firemaker I had ever met who had green eyes, like I have.

It was unsettling. Except for the terrifying round pupils that Firemakers have that makes them look so demonic, I could have been looking into my own eyes.

And then there was that damn conscience of mine nudging in, right where it was not wanted! How could I kill someone who had freed me when I was helpless? And now I am going to kill it when it is helpless? This was not at all how I was brought up, and it is not the code of my mission.

And then that Firemaker has the bloody nerve to look back at me out of my own eyes?

_Ah, scorch it all! Freezing hell! _

I sucked in my breath and then sent it out in a roar where I delivered every foul, nasty, filthy insult possible. I ended it with a curse that the Firemaker was a pain in my tail and then launched myself away. The Firemaker's eyes rolled back in its face and it slid down the rock, probably fainting. Tempting as it was to gloat over the Firemaker, I instead made a dramatic exit. I launched off into flight...

...only to fall back to the ground as something pulled me off balance and then downwards. Snarling, I tried again, launched myself as far as I could, only to now hover over the lip of the canyon on the other side of me. I fell into the canyon and down to the bottom.

Huh! I got up, shook myself off and launched myself up again. It should have worked, but something pulled me back down again to thud against the walls of the canyon. I scratched against the walls, but they were so slick that I instead slithered back to the canyon floor

I was trapped now in this canyon! Trapped!

Howling in anger and using words for which my mother would have smacked me with her ear, I summed up the last of my strength and launched myself upwards. I almost made it over the canyon lip, but then I felt myself fly out of balance. My head cracked against a rock on the side of the canyon and I felt myself topple back into the canyon. Dizzy, bleeding from my nose and the rope cuts I raised my head and looked over my shoulder to my hindquarters.

My tail had curled around my hips in my fall and I could see the problem right away. My left aileron was gone. It had been probably been sliced away in the fall when I crashed through the pine tree.

I was not able to fly out of this canyon. I could get up in the air but not sustain myself in a level position before gravity pulled too much to the left and made me fall. Ah, gravity. It's such a hard thing to get over.

That Firemaker had freed me just to give me a slower and more painful death in this canyon. That Firemaker was smarter than I had ever guessed. I promised if I would ever meet that Firemaker again, I would finish the job this time.

With a moan of disbelief I stood up to try one last attempt, but all the delightful experiences of the day caught up with me. Like the crazy little Firemaker had, I felt my legs wobble, my eyes roll back in my head and I passed out into blissful insanity.


	2. Life is Short, But the Years Are Long

**Chapter 2: Life is Short But the Years are Long**

_(Growing up Night Fury) _

_"Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy."_ - "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long"

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell came up with the basic characters. But the mother and the sisters are original characters (and they made me feed them lots of fish to be in this)

Also, no dragons were harmed in the writing of this chapter. Some were irritated by it, though.

Chapter quote is from Robert Heinlein

* * *

Fainting is highly overrated.

I came to, lying on the forbidden ground and realizing I was going to be here for a very long time. Like the rest of my life.

I growl-groaned and opened my eyes. The late afternoon sun lanced through the trees overhead and made my head hurt even more. My throat was dry, my sides itched, and I had an amazing feeling in my stomach like I could eat an entire shark and vomit it up in the same moment.

Sounds twitched against my ear sensors. Birds, insects, wind, water. WATER! At least this prison had a lake. My back legs did not seem to be working well. My guess is that when my aileron was torn off, my hip muscles got a pretty bad strain too. Lying in that trap for hours had probably not helped, either. I used my front legs to drag myself to the lake's edge and plunged my head in the water. Several minnows scattered away from me like silvery flames as I drank deeply. This water was clear and cold, probably fed by snow melt coming from the steep sides of this mountain island. It was just what I needed.

With a grunt I shoved myself into the chilly water and took a few rolls to loosen up the dried blood. Then I spent the next while lying in the sun, licking my hide clean. When I was satisfied that I was clean again, I let myself just rest, stretched out on my side so my back legs would not cramp even more. I still felt dizzy from this experience, and sleep seemed to be the only cure I had for the moment.

Since I will probably die here, this seemed to be a good time to record my memories. If one of the Lighting People finds my body, he or she can dig out my memory stone lodged in my brain between my ear sensors. Hopefully whatever clues I picked up on last night's raid will be helpful.

And, while I am at it, I might as well fill in my background. Then someone can let my family back home know what happened to me. We may live long distances from one another, but we try to stay connected how we can.

* * *

As you know by now, I am immigrant here, a very long way from home.

How do you get to my homeland? Easy. You fly into the direction of the rising sun until you meet yourself coming from the other direction. Turn north until you reach the State of Confusion where it intersects the Mountains of No Mercy. Proceed to ascend upwards, aiming for the Biome of Barrenness and there you are. My home. To the Firemakers of the region it is a place of high reaching glacial peaks where nothing can grow but bad thoughts. To us, it is Paradise! Where else would a Lightning Person be at home then a land of high cliffs, snowy peaks and an endless sky where lightning dances in the summer months. Volcanoes roar deep in the mountains, fueling hot springs that warm the ground for our People's eggs. Deep glacial lakes teem with schools of fish. We can even follow the spring snow melt down to the lower levels of the mountain to scoop migrating salmon out of the waters for a special treat. Rainbows seem to glint everywhere, winking in glacial ice and white water. Truly a lovely place for a Lightning Person to be born. And some of us get to live here for our whole lives. The land scape won't support many of us, so most of us wind up getting Called to use our talents in other parts of the world. But there is not a one of us who would not be grateful to come back here again.  
The Firemakers call it this region, The Pamir, "The Roof of the World."

A few hardy Firemakers do live here, raising sheep in the few high mountain pastures. We Lightning People leave them alone. They seem to see us as divine beings, so different from what I know in the North Atlantic region where I now live. They leave us gifts of fish and colorful little ribbons, but we make sure never to show ourselves to them. Why push your luck?

We share the landscape with another species as elusive as we are: snow leopards. We look very much like them, except we Lightning People have bat-like wings and scales, plus round jaws with retractable teeth. Like our feline neighbors, we are shy, mysterious and deadly nocturnal hunters. We even are born the same color as they: a beautiful pewter gray with black stripes and freckles that help us blend in among the gray rocks of the Pamirs. Many of us, like my mother, remain this color all their lives. But many of us also turn darker as we get older.

So it was here, in a bed of sand warmed by a hot spring that I came into the world. I don't remember my hatching. Apparently I was the next to last egg my mother bore.

Many animals compare us to reptiles because of our scales and jaws and teeth, but we Lightning People actually are more closely related to birds. We are hatched blind and helpless, and we need our parents to protect us. They vomit up partially digested fish to feed us and teach us to fly, to shoot our plasma bolts and to survive on our own. That means small litters and a very long child hood.

I do not have clear memories of my first few days as a blind and mewling kitten, but I do remember a lot of playing and napping and sucking up lovely vomited fish. My mother would clean us with her tongue, instilling in us the importance of good grooming. My father was also around for a while, helping bring us food and keep us warm in the den while my mother rested. I remember sometimes he would croon and purr us to sleep with some of the old memory songs that we use to teach our history. He had a lovely purr. But he was not Called to be here, so he eventually flew back to the area where he worked as a signaler.

As I got older, I did begin to realize I was very special among my siblings (I was the only male in the clutch). I was a young dragon who was shadowed by Destiny (my younger sister, Destiny, was fascinated by me and kept following me wherever I went). My older sisters must have sensed my uniqueness, because they were always teasing me, bullying me and harassing me (after they recovered from the practical jokes I played on them.) In other words, I was lucky enough to grow up in a happy, loving family. Since we Lightning People live solitary adult lives except for the few of us who become parents, we need to have a loving kitten hood. Our wings will take us to far away places, but as my mom would say, we need to have a firm rock of memories from which to launch ourselves. No matter where we go, we carry the love of our families in our memory stones.

I also realize now that I've never told you my name. I'm not sure I can explain it easily since we People are creatures of senses, not words. Our names are sights, smells, sounds and feelings. My mother, for example, has the name that is the light and smell of the longest day of winter. My little sister's name is the emotion one feels when he or she is Called. My father´s name is the brilliant blue power of a flame´s center. And my name is that thrill of excitement you get just before a summer thunderstorm.  
I remember our mother first teaching us our Commandments as we lounged around a fire in our den, sharing some lovely barfed up salmon (ah, the lost days of youth).

I. Never steal food from a Firemaker.

II. Good grooming is essential.

III. There is no honor in an unfair fight.

IV. Avoid the ground or you will never leave the ground.

V. Never, ever get within range of a Firemaker's front paws.

When it was dark and most Firemakers slept, my mother sometimes took us to the stone temples where Firemakers had left fish for us so we would carry their prayers to the heavens. We could eat this fish since it was given, not stolen, and we were doing it in the name of religion. In gratitude, we always remembered to vomit part of the fish and leave it on the temple steps so the Firemakers could share in our pleasure.

The Firemakers where I grew up were a quiet people- small and with the lungs to live in this high altitude. Their hides were a lovely burnished gold. Most had reddish brown or black hair and almond shaped eyes that tended towards being light brown or grey. Some of them also dressed in red or gold robes and lived their whole lives in deep thought and chanting strange rhythmic prayers that echoed in our mountains. I found these cloaked Firemakers fascinating. But I still kept my distance.

I remember the day my mother pulled me aside to have The Lesson that all parents must teach their young about the facts of life.

In order to fly you have to learn how to fall. Once you take your first fall, hit the ground and learn you are still alive in spite of it, you suddenly know exactly how to fly. I don't know why that is. But we are not alone: since moving to the North Atlantic region, I know now young puffins cannot fly until they have seen the ocean. Life is strange.

And then I learned how to shoot my unique, plasma-like flames, which meant I had to learn how to retract my teeth first. I'd gladly explain to you how it works but it is complex. Let's just say there I start with a thickened acetone mass, lightly seasoned with very fine potassium nitrate crystals that is set alight with an acetylene-oxygen flame that explodes its target on impact. The mass is a semi solid matter but when it combines with oxygen (that's why I take a breath before I let loose), then it becomes an indigo flame that I shoot out. Please, do not try this at home.

We Lightning People often refer to our firepower as being plasma bolts since they do look like lightning, and, of course, that is why we got our name. In reality, we are not shooting electric based but chemical based firepower, just like most other dragons. So, when you hear me mention "plasma bolts," just remind yourself it only LOOKS like plasma. It's easier to do that than and takes less than time than to keep mentioning that I shoot a semi-solid mass, alight with an acetylene-oxygen flame.

When I learned to flame, I learned my life's purpose: Target Practice! Many happy hours were spent blowing up stones and making pebbles dance across the ground. It was especially fun when I could sneak up behind one of my sleeping sisters and blow up a stone to wake her.

My mother had other opinions. After I had to sweep out the den and pull the most unpleasant night watch hours for six months I learned my lesson. Now I only did Target Practice when my family was not watching (I have a feeling that was not exactly what my mother intended).

My mother probably sounds like a real dragon lady and, technically, she was. She could be really hard on us, but she also was very kind and liked to take us to explore the land around our cave. I think I got my snarky sense of humor from her. She seemed to like that I constantly asked annoying questions. Most of the time she did not answer me outright but had me figure out the answers, tossing a clue to me here and there. I later learned that, after she grounded me once for almost blowing up our cave (I honestly did not know you are not supposed to combine sodium rocks and water and plasma bolts), my mother had to fly away after scolding me so she could burst out laughing. She had done the exact thing when she was a kitten.

The last and hardest thing to learn was how to use our sensors. This is what connects us to People around us. We are always aware of others, even if we don't see them. My mother was the Signaler for this area, so on foggy days and nights she would take us up to her signal stone to have us watch how she would direct other People to make sure they did not slam into the mountain cliffs. I'd watch her ears twitch and she would make a purring call, sending a mental image of the direction to go. We'd hear a call come back and the process would start again. I was able to pick up on it pretty fast, too. My mother purred in pride that, when I was just thirteen, I was able to direct my first Person around our mountain peak unaided, (It almost made up for when I tried to bring a pet cobra into the cave that day).

It was during one of those sessions on a misty summer evening of my 14th year that my mother got a different sort of message. She flicked her ears back in wonder and then looked at me with her huge gold-flecked green eyes.

_::You're going west, son.::_

I snorted back in surprise. She gestured for me to open my senses more. I closed my eyes, let my awareness sink deeper than I ever had and, suddenly, I felt it. A pull- a beautiful tugging sense. I wanted nothing more than launch myself into the sky and fly in that direction.

I was being Called.

And then my mother had grabbed my tail gently in her tooth retracted mouth and was pulling me gently back to the Signal Stone.

_::Not yet, not yet!::_ she laughed, _::At least let the weather clear up!::_

The message was from the Lightning Person who worked the nearest Signal Stone to to ours. He had been relaying a message passed from Person to Person over the miles. My father wanted to take me as his apprentice in the North Atlantic sector. I would finally get a chance to see him as an adult and work with him! We'd be partners, taking turns signaling in the region. When it was time for him to retire, I would take over for him so he could come here and be with my mom.

_::You know you're ready for it.:: _My mother said, nudging for me to lift up my wings. I did so, spreading them out. My legs and shoulders and haunches were still thin as fish bones, but my wings would support me in flight. And, for the first time, I saw along my wings that the pewter grey was beginning to shadow to a darker blue-gray just one thought shy of black. I was getting my adult coloration.

I would have a very long journey to make, but that was part of the challenge a potential apprentice faces. You have to get to your master's Signal Stone on your own.

To my relief, my mother and sisters did not make a big deal out of it. They knew we would all one day head out on our own. My mother was actually very proud I was going to one of the most dangerous sectors out there. Still, it was a hard day when I flew with my family up to the signal stone for the last time. We all touched noses together, realizing this was the last moment we would be a complete family. But we would carry each others' memories in our mind stones.

Then I turned to look at the mountains ringing my homeland. I memorized the beauty, the scent of the snow and the wildflowers struggling to cling to the cliff faces.

I took a deep breath and launched into the air, orienting myself for the west.

Behind me my mother and sisters all roared a farewell, sending their last wishes with me.

_::Fair winds and fly well!::_

I never saw them again.


	3. Between Continents

**Chapter 3: Between Continents**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Toothless, but some of the other characters in here are mine. They will not admit it, though. At least not when I am around. Unless I give them lots of chocolate.

The chapter quote is from Robert Heinlein

_"How can I possibly put a new idea into your heads, if I do not first remove your delusions?"_- (Life-lines)

I'm still amazed when I consider how far I traveled. At the time I was so full of impressions from all the new things I saw that I did not realize how long the journey was. My father knew it would take a long time to reach our Signal Stone, at least most of a year. Part of this journey would help me get the strength and resourcefulness I needed for my future mission. There were times during that journey when I would sit in the mouth of whatever cave I found for each day and absorb the memories in my mind stone. But I found a bit of sadness that I was experiencing it all alone. I would have enjoyed having a companion with me to share those memories.

I had to go slowly at first since I was still a skinny little punk and not used to flying long distances. I would do most of my traveling by night, using the periods of twilight and dawn to catch fish. During the day I would hole up in a cave or overhang. The Signaler network made it easier, too. Each twilight I would send out a call. The Lightning Person Signaler in the area would greet me back and send me an areal image of what to expect. I'd also be advised of streams for fishing and potential hazards. And I would be given the location of where the next Signaler would be. I never met these good Lightning People, but we sometimes shared some jokes and stories in our exchanges.

It worked out well the first few months. I flew down from the mountains of my homeland, passing into green sloped valleys where spotted deer and wild sheep roamed. I had to rest for a few days since my lungs had to get used to being at a lower altitude for the first time. I sailed west, gliding often on thermals as the mountains faded into desert. Here there were stretches of sand and rocks, but also scrubby grasslands. There were also some limited water holes. Luckily, enough of my People Signaled in the region to steer me the best ways.

The Firemakers in this region were different from the ones I had known in the Pamirs: coppery skinned people with dark, almond shaped eyes. They wore intricately decorated clothes and strange flat caps on their heads. (Unlike the strange Firemakers of Birch Island, they did not have horns.) They were horse nomads, following flocks of sheep and sleeping in round tents with intricate designs on the outside. Some of them also used a riding and pack animal I had never seen before: an ugly creature with a long neck and a large hump. I also saw some desert members of the People- creatures with spines and pouches for holding water, one of which even blew sand instead of fire.

My hide was getting darker each day, but it was still light enough that I needed to focus on blending into the sand and lighter rocks.

Next I saw something that made my jaw drop flat and I blew a plasma blast for sheer surprise: a vast plain of water that stretched forever. It smelled of salt and minerals. I had to spend a day just flying around it for a while to shake off the curiosity before I plunged into the water for a lovely bath. I finally got run out of the water by a huge Person who seemed all mouth and teeth. Luckily I got away before its concussive blast knocked me to the ground for good.

I skirted the edge of this water body, following the advice of the region's Signaler. This was, apparently called a sea; though one Signaler let me know it was actually an enormous, salty lake. Firemakers were here on the coast, so I had to be careful. I was intrigued by how they used big trees to float themselves over the water and how they used vines they tossed over the edge of their floating trees to bring in fish. I preferred my method of snapping fish from the water with my teeth.

Then back on land again, and now flying over a new set of mountains, ones that had more vegetation and fewer glaciers but were still as beautiful as my Pamirs. I began to see new buildings I had never seen before: octagonal buildings with round domes and a symbol of a tree pole with two cross poles. The Firemakers here loved music, and I often heard a mournful sound that imitated a dove's call floating over the mountain ranges. Since I traveled by night I never found out how they made that noise, but it was lovely.

I flew north and west and the mountains flattened out into the Great Steppe, the most dangerous part of my journey. This is the one place where the People cannot thrive. There are precious few caves and few gullies. So no Signaler was here. I could have skirted farther south through the southern branch of the mountain range I had just crossed, then fly across a volcanic plateau where there would be Signalers to guide me. It would have put more time on my journey, though. I did not want to take it TOO slowly!

At first it seemed all right. There were enough bluffs and caves and foothills to keep me hidden, even if the landscape was getting flatter and grassier. I was feeling this might not be so bad, so when I flew accidentally over a Firemaker on horseback one dawn I was bursting with confidence.

I heard the horse snort and the Firemaker let out a gasp that sounded like "Wow!" I was expecting something more like:"ARRRRRRGGGHHHH!"

I immediately plunged my two sets of wings down, heading away from them faster. If they were not afraid of me, this could be a problem.

Someone whooped and then I heard thudding hooves. The horse and its Firemaker were catching up to me, galloping much faster than I would ever have believed. They shot past me and then continued galloping ahead of me. Someone- the young Firemaker probably- let out a Yeeeehaaaww!

Oh, so you want to race, do you?

This was war! No one out races a Lightning Person. I laughed, immediately thrust down my wings harder and shot into a faster glide, overtaking them.

The next few minutes were incredible! I could not believe a horse could keep pace with a flying Lightning Person, let alone a horse with a Firemaker on its back. But this one did, its rider lying almost flat on the horse's neck to cut wind resistance. I know today I would have left them in the dust in seconds, but I was still skinny and a bit clumsy with my wings, and I was tired after a long night's flight (That's a good excuse anyway).

The wind roared down my neck and caressed my wings. My ailerons balanced me sweetly. The land below me blurred. I thrilled to the percussion of hoof beats on the sandy ground. I did briefly feel sorry for the horse, though, to be forced into racing with me. I know I would not enjoy having a Firemaker lie flat on my back like that and force me to move faster and faster.

In the end, geography was on my side. I soared over a gully leading to a muddy creek and the horse had to put its feet into the ground and skid to a halt. I heard a loud "WHOOOOOOAAAAAA!" and a nasty splash of water.

I laughed to myself. Wings win out every time.

Half an hour later, I was not laughing. As the morning sun came up, I dropped onto a puny excuse for a ridge and saw the Great Steppe for the first time. My jaw fell open and I growled. This really was an ocean of grass, a flat gold plain stretching to forever! There were no mountains, no canyons, nowhere to hide. How in the cold hells was I going to get across that?

No Signaler could live here, of course. I sighed tiredly and launched into the air for a recon mission. It depressed me. Everything looked the same. There were no landmarks to help. Soon, tired and wanting to sleep for the day, I looked for my ridge but it was gone. Somehow I had drifted away from it enough that I could not see it. It was getting very hot, and heat was shimmering in the air, making everything look the same, probably obscuring my ridge. What was I going to do? Where was I going to sleep? How would I find food? It had better be soon, for I was getting exhausted. I was going to have to drop to the ground and who knew what hid under that long grass?

_::Open your mind if you will.:: _a rich, heavily accented mind voice told me.

The thought was not my own, but it was the traditional friendly invitation we give each other when we want to send images.

_::You're going the wrong way.::_ The voice was definitely a feminine one.

I snarled a threat. How did I know to trust that judgment?

_::Easy. We are under you right now. I am sending you my location. You can shoot us any time you like. That is trust enough, no?::_

I could see the long grass waving under my flapping wings. Something was moving through it. Something rather large and yet the grass hid it well.

_::Follow us. There is a place not far from here. You can rest there.::_

I banked, dipped down and followed the waving grass, but ready to shoot out a plasma bolt if needed.

The shimmering mirage continued waving, so it all looked flat and endless to me, but suddenly a scrubby rocky outcrop popped up. And, bless the Sky Lady's soul, a little pond. I blinked, and the mirage covered it all again.

_::So fun traveling the Steppes! Those mirages don't help.:: _my guide said as I landed in yelping relief on the outcrop. I licked the stony outcrop in gratitude.

_Thank you, sky gods!_

The grass whispered and my guide clumped out into my view. It was a very mud covered horse and its rider.

_::Greetings!:: _the horse sent, twitching her muddy ears.

Oops. Heh heh heh. Open mouth and insert paw. I looked away and pretended I had had nothing to do with that that rider and horse falling into the creek while racing me. Silence is golden.

They were surprisingly good natured about it. They let me fish out of the pond (not the best I've ever had, but it filled the stomach) before they cleaned themselves. I flew out of their way while they did this. When they were done, they moved well away from me so I could land again on the outcrop. Strange that they picked up on the vibes that I did not want be too close to them. Or, more likely, they did not want to be too close to me. The plasma bolt is very good at insuring I am not the most popular at gatherings.

The full day came on us and I curled up to sleep, but half ready to attack the dynamic duo if needed. I must have been really tired from the travels because, when I woke up, it was late afternoon. I yawned, dreading how I would travel tonight with nothing to guide me.

The Firemaker had worked its magic and built a little fire where it was cooking some game it killed. My People never knew how these beings could do this, but hey are the only creatures besides us who can create fire.

The Firemaker and its horse were actually quite far from me, I could not see the Firemaker well enough to make out fine details. It did seem to be tall and very thin, with long blond hair under a stupid looking peaked hat. It also seemed to have hair on its face, so that made it a male of the species. Otherwise it - he- wore sheep's wool clothes: long shirt to the knees, loose trousers for riding and fur-lined leather boots. A long brown coat had been folded up and set next to a pack. The Firemaker whistled to his horse who came over, bunting her head against his shoulder. I watched in surprise as the Firemaker used its front paws to pull part of the horse's skin off and lay it not far from the fire. Then I realized it was not skin but some sort of flat woven leather pad with long belts dangling from it. Under this pad was a woven blanket. Last of all the Firemaker pulled off something around the horse's neck and shoulders. Freed, the horse moved away and started to roll on the ground.

I narrowed my eyes in disgust. _Idiot. Why don't you run away? There's nothing stopping you. Ah well, horses are not that smart anyway. When you consider a cat has a larger brain than a horse does...heh. _

I shut my eyes and tried to fall back to sleep. I was really too tired to fly any further. Maybe I'd rest here a day or so.

I heard a swishing of grass and cracked my eye open to see the horse was approaching me beneath my outcropping. She stopped, far enough that I could just barely make out her general details.

I growled at the horse, sending images of a dead horse laid out on an open fire with an apple in its mouth.

The horse sent me back an image of a dead Lightning Person laid out on an open fire with a fish in its mouth. She even got my pathetic blotched pewter and dark blue piebald body accurately. She then chuckled to show was just messing with me.

_::Hey, dragon. As long as you stay this distance from our fire you are welcome to stay here for the night. You don't flame us, we don't shoot you with arrows. Nice, eh? Everybody wins::_

I flicked an ear. _::I appreciate your help. And, if you like, I can help free you so you don't have to be a slave to that Firemaker.::_

The horse stared at me with surprise and then started rolling on the grass in laughter. _::Oh, thank you, dragon! That's kind of you, but that is my Rider! We're a team!:: _

I actually was pretty sure that the capital R was resounding loud and clear.

I snorted in disgust so hard that I sneezed. _::You willingly let someone sit on your back and boss you around when you could be running free?:: _I was amazed by her stupidity.

She stood up and shook herself, sending grass blades flying. _::It depends on how you define freedom, no? We horses never are equals. We have a hierarchy, someone who bosses someone else all the way down the ranks. In the herd you constantly are fighting for your position. We find food and water and then have to squabble over who gets to eat it first and who gets the leftovers. So lovely- I am surrounded by lots of my kind and yet still very lonely! With my Rider I have someone who is really a friend and partner. How is that a bad thing? .::_

_::Most horses I've seen would love to run free forever.::_ I rolled my eyes and sighed, imitating my little sister, Destiny, who would get so gooney over watching wild pony herds run free in our home mountains.

_::I'm not most horses. I'm a Turkmene, the first tribe of horses to accept Firemakers as Riders thousands of years ago. My Rider's people are Sarmatian nomads. These steppes are not easy living. It is better to have these Firemakers as friends than enemies. Actually, we are more than a horse and rider. We're Dragons. ::_

I stared at her as if she had grown three more eyes_:: Ahh, errhhhhh... y'know, sometimes it helps to drink a lot of water on hot days. It can keep you from getting hallucinations.::_

_::No we really are Dragons. Our whole military unit is a Dragon! We're on our way, now, to join our unit.::_

I decided to let her have her illusions. If it pleased her, then, well, she and her holy RIDER were dragons. I just hoped she would not try to fly or breathe fire. She'd be slightly disappointed, and probably slightly dead.

In the afternoon sun I took a second look at her. She _was _ odd looking for a horse. My first impression was of an elongated horse: long, sinuous neck, long legs, extremely long back and flat sides. She was also extremely thin, but the muscles rippling along her sides and legs indicated she was very strong. Her neck was set on her shoulders in a strange, almost vertical way- very strange for a horse. But her head, with its delicate features, large eyes and longish ears, was actually quite handsome for a horse's She had a sparse, naturally short mane with an uneven shaggy forelock. Her ropey tail looked more like mine than the usual hairy horse's tail. Her hide gave an impression like she was lit from within by a fire: a burnished orange-gold with a dark reddish- brown mane, tail, ears and legs. She even had tiger stripes up her legs , down her back and across her shoulders that were very much like mine. In a strange way, she seemed like a dragon would be if it were turned into a horse. She no longer wore any riding equipment, but she was wearing two colorful bands around her neck. Some sort of Firemaker luck charm, I guessed.

I sent politely: _::Well, being a slave to a Firemaker is not how I would want to face life. I still don't understand why you put up with it.::_

_::I guess you would have to get a Rider first and then judge for yourself, Freckles.::_

I snorted again. Freckles? _::In your dreams, Horsebutt.::_

She imitated my snort, winked at me and trotted back to her rider. Oh, sorry, Rrrrrr-ider.

I overslept and it was dawn when I awakened. I shook myself off, caught some fish for breakfast and wondered how in the cold hells I would get through this stinking wasteland.

Far behind me I heard harness jingling and hooves stamping. Someone whistled- the Firemaker. The horse shook her head with eagerness for a day's journey as her Rider swung aboard in a fluid leap onto that leather pad.

I looked back and growled angrily.

_::We love you too, Freckles. Listen. Traveling by day is going to be easier for you, see? If you go in the direction we are going, we can help you stay safe.. Fly ahead and scout the sky for us- let us know if you see any hazards. Then we can guide you forward to the next point. Good plan, no? Just stay really far back and try not to eat us.::_

I tried not to laugh in relief _::No problem of that. You're both too skinny to make a good meal anyway.::_

In the end their method of using me as a scout and then guiding me to the next rendezvous point got me over the Steppes. We also did a brilliant job of pretending to despise each other and keeping our distance from one another. A casual observer would have thought we were mortal enemies trying to spy on one another.

The Turkmene horse would give me an idea of what oasis they would have as their goal. I would fly ahead and check the terrain for any hazards while she kept a running dialogue so my mind was clear enough to keep these weird steppe mirages from clouding my sensors. We had good enough weather that the thermals would help keep me gliding without flapping my wings so I could rest in the air long stretches until my slower partners caught up with me. Then we'd start the whole process over again.

At night we slept well apart from each other. The horse and I would often toss friendly insults each other's way, though. I picked up from the horse her ancestors were originally from the scrubby desert plateau just below my home mountains. They were used to living close to their nomadic riders and so formed a very close bond with one person that they called their Rider. They would only tolerate that person on their back. The tall blond Rider with the hawk like features had ridden horses before he could walk. His people's way of life was not what it once was hundreds of years ago. I learned that he indeed served in as a member of a military unit of horse archers called a Dragon (good judgment, there). He had been on leave to help bring in the semi feral horse herd from the mountains for the summer. The colts and fillies meant to be war horses, like my friend, would be firmly and gently trained to trust Firemakers. Some would bond with a Firemaker man or woman. The rest would be turned back free to wander the pastures again.

I could appreciate my new partners' happiness, but most of it seemed kind of overblown to me. I enjoyed teasing the horse about it.

_::How does that pad on your back feel today, Horseface?::_ I would call to her, _::Choking you off yet?::_

_::Nope. Still breathing. You're welcome to try it out, though. Trust me on this, with the distances we ride each day, I'd rather have a saddle than the sore back if I did not have one. The tailbones of a Firemaker and my spine just don't quite hook up the right way. Have you noticed, O snarky one, that I am not wearing anything in my mouth?::_

I indeed had not. I swooped down to take a closer look, but still keeping a safe distance. I had seen Firemakers ride animals before, and they always liked to use steel bars forced in the beast's mouth to control their horse or donkey. My horse friend was wearing nothing on her head. She just had that flat saddle with its woven leather seat. The saddle was attached to her with a strap around her belly. There was a breast band that hooked the saddle around her chest. Apparently that kept the saddle from sliding backward. And then a contraption wound around her lower neck and hooked to the saddle. It had a paw hold for the Rider and some hooks where he attached a set of bags that held supplies for the partners. There was also a strange looking case hooked to the neck harness. The back of the saddle had more hooks where the Rider had secured a bed roll and a small tent. The Rider himself wore a crossed harness around his chest. Something had been attached behind him, a flat case containing some sort of sticks and a funny curved branch of wood.

_::So, how is he controlling you, Horsebutt? And how does he stay on board? :: _I asked

_::He's not controlling me, duh brain. He's asking me to go in a certain direction. It's all in the legs. He steers me with his legs and his weight, and he uses his legs to hold himself in place. That, and the saddle has ridges on the side to help him stick to me, a bit, too. The legs and the mind. That's the secret. ::_

She reached around to nip her Rider's left foot affectionately. He laughed and pat her on the neck. I rolled my eyes and flew forward to check out things in front of me. Too much craziness for me.

Towards twilight, I landed on a brow of grass covered rocks. Still it was like a mountain peak barely jutting above the long waves of grass. I sensed something was not right and sent a mind warning to the Turkmene.

Just as something launched out of the grass and seized hold of my right haunch. I screamed in surprise and launched upwards, but I felt heavy jaws pulling me back down. Today, I would have been able to shake that heavy jawed beast off, but my legs were still not powerful enough yet for me to launch straight up into the air. Another creature snarled below, hidden in the grass.

When my eyes locked with those of the creature who had grabbed me, I felt an almost magnetic pull on my sensors. I was being told I could not move. I did not want to move. I wanted to stay here and let this creature grab me. I flinched, trying to resist.

_::We're coming! Fix your location! I see you! ::_

Something small hissed through the air and slammed against the leathery creature biting me. Shocked, the beast me go, and I flew up to safety, my right leg feeling numb. Another small object screamed by and hit the creature in its shoulder. The creature flipped its head around to see the Turkmene and her Rider galloping through the grass, the Rider now holding up that strange curved branch. He had a feathered stick positioned in this curved branch.

Another creature launched out of the grass to chase my crazy companions. The horse bared its teeth and launched at the second creature, snapping at its neck with her sharp front teeth. The Rider shot another stick into the first creature at the same time, twisting completely around in the saddle so his horse could attack the second creature on her side. The first creature slumped onto its side, twitching feebly.

The second creature clawed at the Turkmene. She spun around and delivered a kick with her iron hard hooves that knocked the creature back onto its haunches Then she and the Firemaker were running away, drawing the creature away from me. The second creature launched itself after them.

_::Quick, Freckles! We're drawing it away! Can you do an attack on it from behind?::_

I would have loved to shoot off a blast, but not with all this flammable grass. I dropped down to pounce on the second creature, letting gravity knock it onto its belly. I swung back into the air as the creature rolled to its feet. Then realizing it was facing three angry beings, it turned and loped into the grass.

I dropped back down to the knoll, numbness spreading up my entire haunch. Below me, the horse snorted and pawed at the dead creature while her Rider dismounted to retrieve his feathered flying sticks. The creature was one I had never seen before- shaped a bit like a winged wolf but with a viper like head and fangs. It was colored a dirty greenish-gray with a red underbelly and red warts. And a surprisingly heavy jaw for such a slender, viper-headed creature. Weirdest of all were strange fleshy knobs on its face, set just to the left of each eye on each side of its head.

What are these monsters?

I picked from the horse's mind that these were one of many supernatural creatures that appeared in the steppe lands. Without my People around as the top of the food chain, lots of strange creatures prowled in the long grasses here, sinister things that do not have my People's ethical nature.

The horse then snorted _::Are you all right? Those things are nasty.::_

_::You just saved my life!::_ I was pretty stunned.

_::Funny. I was just going to say the same to you. We're not keeping score, anyway. You're a good partner, dragon! ::_

I had also not expected both the Turkmene and her Rider to be such good partners. This, then, is what a Sarmatian Dragon is- a horse and archer working as one, firing arrows instead of flames.

I shook my thigh, feeling the numbing start to wear off.

_::These are the younger members of the species, so their poison is not as effective. That numbness should wear off, soon. If an adult had bitten you or hit you with its tail spikes... ::_ The Turkmene shuddered so hard that her saddle creaked.

A few nights later horse friend let me know we would soon be at the edge of the Steppe and would part company the next day. I crouched on that evening's rock outcrop and did my Hardened Mercenary Lightning Person pose where I sit with my legs tucked beneath me and my tail curled around me and stare straight ahead coldly.

I was still intrigued, though, as the Rider pulled off the saddle from his horse. He ran a front paw down her side, checking her for any scratches. She pulled the hat from his head and ran off, shaking it like a big dog. The Rider chased her for a few minutes before he pretended he did not care. She came up to him, dropped the hat in his hands and then nickered. He raised a front paw, and she laid her muzzle against it. Then he started scratching her along her jaw until she closed her eyes in bliss. Eventually he knelt down to light the fire for the night. She folded her neck down over her Rider's shoulder, nuzzling him. The two of them remained that way, watching the stars together. I could not quite make out their bond. It was not romantic (ick) , but it was like a very deep understanding that they were partners sharing a grand adventure. I was surprised to find I was actually a bit jealous of their friendship.

_::Oh, puke.:: _I snorted and let a small blast of plasma leak out.

I thought I heard a horse softly laughing at me.

We split company the next day. We kept the goodbyes minimal, but I did get a nice last memory of them as the Turkmene reared for me, showing off her saddle arrangement where the Rider could turn around to fire a shot over his shoulder or lie flat to dodge an arrow . The Rider leaned back and pumped a fist in the air. The horse landed on all fours, and she turned to gallop in the opposite direction from me.

This was the point where I think I crossed from Asia into Europe and where my People changed from being respected to being feared.

After this point, the journey was fast. The Signalers were in place again so I could soar through black forests and alpine mountains. There were plenty of places to hide and plenty of streams for catching fish. I steered clear of cities, keeping to the rougher terrain where Firemakers do not settle.

I noticed as I flew I began seeing great floating trees- I now knew them as boats- with carved dragon heads in the rivers. The ones who steered them were Norsemen, Signalers told me. Particularly a type of raiding Norseman known as Bay Dwellers because they hid their boats in bays before they attacked. In their own language, they were "Víkingar."

These ones sailed east towards the Steppe, collecting treasure and capturing people to sell into slavery. I have to say I was not impressed by their violent attitude. But there are apparently two types of Norsemen: the ones who raid (the Vikings) and the ones who settle new lands as farmers or who go on trading missions (the Settlers). Most Europeans refer to all of them as Vikings but that is not quite true. If it were not for my People's raids, I think the Birch Island Firemakers would be the settler variety.

I also began to see a lot more of the People portrayed in the art of Firemakers in this region. And not in a good way. Where we had been seen as mystical beings in the Pamirs and partners to soldiers in the Steppes, here in the forests and mountains of Europe we were Evil Incarnate. I kept seeing statues of a well armed Firemaker on a white horse charging against a Self Burner or a Lava Maker with the intent to kill.

A few times I barely missed being spotted by some of these dragon haters. One time I actually survived by pretending to be a statue of a gargoyle on a stone building in a small village.

In the northern woods of a land I think the Signalers said the Firemakers called Frankland, I stopped in a forest to take a drink of water. I jumped back when I saw a mighty Lightning Person leap up at me from the water. I was looking at my own reflection. The fish boned, pewter colored stripling who had started this journey was gone. Now I was looking into the green eyes of a small but powerfully built young Lightning Person. The long miles of flying had strengthened my shoulders, and hindquarters until they were very powerful- they would have to be to power my wings in my lightning fast flights. I was now completely dark in color. Our people are actually not black but a very deep slate blue, exactly like the sky at midnight. What made me look black was the tiger stripes that wound up my legs and the tabby stripes on my upper body. I could see those when I fanned out my now very long, velvety wings. I also saw that I kept my freckles, too, speckling my legs, neck and, damn it, my face. Ah, well, some things don't change.

By this point, one of the Signal voices was my Father's. Within a few days we would unite, and he was thrilled to meet me for the first time since I was a kitten. Would we be good teammates?

The last few days I flew over a stretch of sea that brought to a large island ringed by many smaller clusters of islands, especially in the north. Here I saw even more signs of my People in the artwork, and always showing us as violent and cruel. We ate young women, stole children and sheep and twisted around trees, breathing our deadly fire over peaceful settlements. That same Firemaker on the white horse was often depicted in artwork here.

Huh. I flew north and west, heading over hills and heather through a land of low mountains and deep lakes and then over a coastline of firths. I left that land mass behind me and soared into a region that was a huge archipelago of rocky islands in the cold North Atlantic. This was the sector that would be my new home. The climate was similar to my mountain home, and the islands were mostly the tops of tall mountains jutting from the Atlantic ocean. Most of them were surprisingly green, too, even if they did not have a lot of trees. I tried to memorize the names the Firemakers have given all the islands in this region- the ones I picked up from my Father in his most recent messages to me: The Seal Islands, The Hilt Islands, the Ice Land, the Place of the Westmen, the Sheep Islands and the place where I was heading: the Islands on the Edge of the Sea. This is as remote as you can get for Europe, and this chain of islands would be my home base. There were more than 500 islands and skerries that make up this archipelago alone, so I knew I would be kept busy.

This region has its dangers, my father had warned me, which is why the Islands at the Edge of the Sea region has its own Signaler. The fogs come in here often, blocking the view, so we Signalers are very important to make sure the People do not crash against the sea stacks or mountains or drift out to sea where they can only hope Signalers from Greenland will rescue them. The winters can be brutal, with flying snow and high winds that make having a Signaler even more important.

Plus, there is another reason to be here, my father told me in our last signaling of my journey. It concerns why some of the People across the North Atlantic have gone Rogue and decided to mount raids against Firemakers. So far they have mostly concentrated their raids in the Islands at the Edge of the Sea region, but there are enough islands there to keep them busy. Sadly, some of these islands are no longer inhabited. The People's raids drove away the Firemakers. But some of the Norse and Celtic settlers are still putting up a fight on a few of the islands.

My father was so looking forward to meeting me. I wondered what kind of Person he would be.

_::Well, you'll soon find out. Next time we communicate it will be face to face. Take care, son. Fair wind and fly well.::_

_::You, too, Dad.::_

The final day of my journey, I was tired but happy as I found the cave where my father lived on an island with no name. He had warned me he was going to go on an espionage mission to track a raiding party of the People. So it might be a little wait for me until we met.

That was indeed the case. And it was indeed the case many hours later as I paced the neatly kept cave perched high above a lonely stone beach. It still continued to be the case after I caught some fish for dinner and slept a while.

I wandered the cavern, looking for any clues or signs of where he had gone. All I could see was where his paw print had been caught in the muddy sand outside the cave when he made his last take off for the mission. The sun had dried the foot print.

A strange sense of foreboding came over me. I touched my foot into his paw print and was amazed to see that it filled the entire print.

I sent out a lonely little Signal, hoping he would answer. What came back was not what I expected. I got an impression of hot lava, a large cavern, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by something much stronger than I, and I had no power to resist it as it pulled me in.

I felt a burst of pain and then silence.

My snarkiness kicked in, right on schedule.

_::Okay. So I guess you had to work a bit later than usual tonight, Dad? And you won't be coming home tonight.::_

I was not expecting my breath to catch in my throat or dragon tears to gather in my eyes.

_::Or any other night.::_

Luckily one of the Lightning People in the Seal Island sector heard me and mentally calmed me down before I completely flipped out. She let me roar angrily for a while before blasting me back to my senses with a mental blast.

_::Pull yourself together, Junior! Your father would not want to see you like this!::_

_::S-sorry?::_I sent back. I lowered my head and bit my left paw until my tears stopped. Finally, I retracted my teeth and sighed in sorrow. _::I came a long way, and I dreamed of meeting him. I was not expecting th-this.::_

Sorrow tinged her distant transmission _::Aww, kid. I am sorry. It's a hell of a welcome for you.:: _She then snarled gently at me, _::But he must have known you could do the job. You have to remember that. You owe it to him to find out what happened to him.:: _

_::What am I supposed to do?:: _I asked her, feeling the sense of responsibility drop on me, and strangely welcoming it. _::I know I need to f-find out what happened. But how can I when I don't know exactly how things work here?::_

_::It won't be easy, but we'll help in whatever way.::_

The other Signalers in the North Atlantic all helped me learn my new job, each one taking some time from his or her duty to teach me from a distance. My own learning instinct kicked in and I picked up the job faster than I would have guessed. Eventually, at fifteen I became the youngest Signaler ever to assume my role. And, when I heard wind of a raid on the Firemakers, I joined in, slipping in where my father had been. I think no one noticed that there had been a change in the Nightfurygetdown staff. I gathered intelligence and slipped it back to my colleagues to transmit onwards.

On the outside I was a raging success. On the inside, I was depressed because I had not been able to save my father. If only I had pushed myself to arrive faster, not spent so much exploring. Then I could have talked him out of going out that night... I just was not where I should be.

It was hard work, and I began get very reclusive, even for a Lightning Person. On the island raids, however, I began to get to be more and more of a daredevil. It was almost like I needed to get the thrill of blowing up something to feel happy with life again. I could pretend to be cavalier and suave and sarcastic, but deep inside I felt I had lost my way.

So, now I am grounded in a canyon. I am crippled permanently. I have come no closer to solving the raiding problem. I have become the only one of my kind to be captured. And I was brought down by someone who was either the most dangerous or most pathetic of its kind.

What a way to be remembered.

* * *

**A/N**_**: ** By the way, Turkmene horses were real. They were an ancient breed of horse used in Central Asia, highly sought after as a cavalry mount for archers. Their riders did actually use bridles, but often steered by the legs because they needed their hands free for archery. Turkmenes were often trained as well to fight alongside their riders. The modern day version of this horse type is called the Akhal Teke. They are unusual looking compared to Western horses, and they are true "one rider" horses who prefer to be a partner, not a servant._


	4. Stranger in a Strange Canyon

**Chapter 4: Stranger in a Strange Canyon **

**Disclaimers: ** ** noun: 1. a disclaiming; denial or renunciation, as of a claim, title, etc.. 2. a refusal to accept responsibility; disavowal (Origin: Anglo-Fr desclamer, inf. used as n. Webster's New World Dictionary) **

**Translation- ** All the characters in here came from Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell and their genius. Except, maybe, for the mosquitoes, wolves, birds, rain, lightning and general canyon wildlife. I created that, and it is now taking up a lot of space in my living room.

Chapter Quote is from Robert Heinlein

_"When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." - _Ames' Law (R.A. Heinlein- The Cat Who Walks Through Walls)

* * *

Welcome to the first night of my rest of my life! What's left of it.

My back legs were feeling well enough that I could start to walk on all fours again. I could limp to a relatively sheltered area and curl up to wait for the night. I still had a nasty headache and the upset stomach.

The sun set and darkness set in. I watched in a sort of numbness as the world around me faded from a dull green to dark grey and then to a deep, cruel color between grey and black. I could no longer see any sign of the sky, just the leaves matted over head.

I huddled into myself, a prisoner in this strange world known as Ground. It was not a nice experience. Sensations happened all around me on every level. I heard worms moving beneath my feet. Mosquitoes tried to bite my hide. Forest creatures chirped and growled and squawked around me.

The worst was that I could not see the sky- the beautiful sky. I began to understand for the first time what the fear of enclosed spaces is. New sounds came into the night: ripples, roars, hisses and snarls. I wore myself out looking left to right and up and down. I could only hear the sounds but not see how dangerous they were. And I hoped they could not see how helpless I was.

And then like that dove music I heard in the mountains so long ago, I heard a song of hope.

The Lightning Signalers were calling out their positions for the evening! If today had been happier, I would have been perched on my Signal Stone on that unnamed island, calling out my position, too.

Maybe I was not lost after all!

I trotted to the edge of the canyon closest to where I had been shot. I reared up on my sore hind legs and balanced my front paws against the canyon walls. I closed my eyes, sank into myself and let my memory stone flare inside my skull. I pushed hard for my ears to send out my message sending.

_:Brothers and Sisters! I'm the Signaler from the Islands on the Edge of the Sea! I need help! I am trapped on Birch Island, in a canyon! Please send help! :: _

I felt my signal go outwards. I took a breath.

And I just heard the calls go out as before. No one had received my message.

I tried again, concentrating harder. No one acknowledged. I just heard their code calls, but no sign they had heard mine.

_::CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?::_

That call should wake up the dead. It just happened to not wake up any dead beyond my canyon. No one answered.

Scorch it and freezing hell! I realized that my tail fin was not the only part of me to be injured. I seemed also to have lost my ability signal to the others.

_Oh please. don't let that be! Don't cut me off from my People! No!_

If so, then I truly was finished. I lowered my head and let it rest against the canyon wall. My front claws loosened in defeat and I slid back down.

Someone did hear me, though. It just happened to be someone I did not find too helpful. A wolf's howl cut clean and sharp at the edge of the canyon wall. I hissed in horror. I could appreciate a wolf's scout call before, when I floated in the sky, well out of danger. Now on the ground and injured, that call sounded very different. I was being marked as potential prey. They knew I was too strong right now, but give me a few days of starvation. Then, when my plasma blasts had run down and with no ability to fly out of the canyon, they could easily enter the canyon do me in. And so ends the _Saga of the Nightfurygetdown. _

It humiliated me that, for the first time since I was very young, I felt so out of control.

_Oh please, Sky Lady, Night Lady, Great Father. I do not ask to survive. I just ask for a quick, clean death. Can you do that for me? _

The trio declined to answer me. As the night cooled and my breath began to stream out of my nostrils in ribbons, I raised my head up to the sky and thought of my father.

_You must be really disappointed in me, sir. I never met you, but I wanted you to be proud of me. It makes me feel even worse that you died trying to solve this problem, and I could not carry on your Calling. I am so sorry. This was all my fault, my vanity._

And then suddenly I knew what the Viking's words _Ek gerði þetta meant._ Not because I suddenly knew the Norse language, but I glimpsed the pain behind the words.

_I did this._

He certainly had, but I had, too, with my carelessness. And now the mission was in jeopardy.

In the dark foliage over me, the wind shook the branches a bit. Through them I did make out a glimpse of the stars, a pattern of celestial jewels thrown across the sky.

It soothed me. I don't believe in visions or such, but I took comfort from the sight of the stars, like I had been granted one tiny sliver of hope.

_If that was your doing, Dad, then I thank you._

I did not sleep at all that night, though I sunk into a kind of shocked torpor.

When the sun began to show up as a sick green glow in this canyon from hell, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had lived for one more night. I heard the birds call around me . My snarky nature took pleasure in the fact that only male birds sing and they are really shouting threats and insults at each other.

_Damn, I've gotten cynical! Well, bring back my sun and sky and I might be nice again. Until then, don't expect me to be sweetness and light. _

Now that I was stronger to move again, I began to feel hungry as well. I limped heavily to the pond and managed to grab a tiny fish for breakfast before I took a long drink. I had the sense of foreboding that I was not going to get anything more from the pond than that little fish. By now the other fish had guessed I was in the vicinity, and they would stay far back.

I sighed, remembering the many times I had refused to eat the regurgitated white fish my mother made for us because it was not my favorite salmon. I now wished badly that I could now be eating that very same fish I had rejected.

I sighed and pulled my amputated tail around to inspect it in the light. It made me curl up my lips in disgust. It had not been a clean amputation. Bits of tattered, blue-black-grey webbing dangled from the tail, and I still had two broken stumps of radials that jutted uselessly out and then bent awkwardly toward the ground. I did not have the heart to try to break them off; they would probably shrivel up and fall off on their own. The only good thing I can say is the ache had gradually faded to a dull throbbing. Hopefully that would lessen soon.

Tired and sore as I was. though, I had come to a resolution through the night. My first obligation as a Signaler and a spy was to get my information to the right source. If I cannot transmit, then I HAVE to get out of canyon. After all, if I fell IN there must be a way to fall OUT of the canyon.

I first limped around the area, taking in all the canyon and its borders. I had to admit, barring the lack of sky views, I had chosen a lovely prison for myself. The lake glittered cool and soothing. A waterfall tumbled from the nearby mountain slope into the lake.. Plants of all types filled the canyon with greenery. Lots of species of songbirds and butterflies flew around, and honeybees did their work on the an amazing variety of late summer wildflowers here. Overall, a lovely place, but sorely lacking in exits. The few slots that opened into the canyon were too small for me to use. I would to have to somehow fly up and over to get out of here.

Okay, nothing for it but to try. Maybe I would be so desperate my body would give me the strength to clear up and over the wall. I positioned myself, gathered my energy, and charged at the lip, jumping in the air. Only to find myself falling back down.

I then tried staring at my injured aileron, willing it to heal itself. This method did not work, surprisingly.

That made me think of the one who had made all this possible: the little Firemaker with the amazing net wielding paws. I was still angry at it for putting me through this, but the many hours I had spent awake had dimmed my night fury (no pun intended). It made no sense for the Firemaker to have let me go just so I could starve to death here. Especially when it could have killed me so easily yesterday. I know its tribe are sworn to kill us. They've developed their whole way of life around it. Even their bodies have evolved over the centuries to handle the heavy iron poles and hand teeth they use to kill us: tall with broad chests and powerful front legs. Some of them, like the red furred Alpha Male, can even knock a Person unconscious with a blow of the fist.

I have traveled more than most of my kind here, so I know that not all Firemakers are out to kill us. But these Firemakers have lived isolated from the parts of the world that respect the People. It makes no sense for one of them to suddenly get the notion to free me. That Firemaker must have an ulterior motive, and probably not a benevolent one.

It occurred to me my espionage mission was not over yet. Crippled as I was, I somehow needed to isolate this specimen and find out why it was different from others. Was it planning something even more dangerous than the others of its kind? Or, possibly, did it truly want to help me?

_Naaah. I will go with the danger theory._ All the more reason to get out of this place!

I launched myself at the wall again, this time knocking some scales from my back as I fell. They glittered down like black tears, spiraling onto the grass.

And on it went. Like a sadistic version of Target Practice, I launched myself at various spots around the canyon, plunging upward and falling back down.

Whoosh up! Tilt to the left! Whoosh down! Slam! Shake the head. Repeat!

The muted sunlight in the canyon was starting to slide into the west when I made progress! I swung up at a good angle and caught my front claws in the canyon wall, not far from the lip.

_Come on, back legs! Move it! _

Before my powerful back leg muscles could bunch up to provide the second thrust, my tail tilted me to left and I slid off the walls, falling swiftly over the ledge to thud down on the opposite bank. I roared in anger as I fell. Shaking my head to clear the dancing stars, I gave it another shot before my mind told me to quit while I still had a head. I launched myself, up and onto the canyon wall.

_Climb, damn you! Climb! Climb! Climb! Good! We're making progress and then the back legs and then..._

_... amazingly, we fall back down again!_

_ARRRRRGHHHHHH!_ Frustrated, I climbed to my feet and let loose an angry blast of plasma.

It did nothing to help, but it sure felt so good to destroy the pebbles in front of me.

I tried once more, experienced the usual results, collapsed to the ground, bruised and bleeding from tiny cuts and bruises.

I limped, now very heavily, to the edge of the lake and plunged my face in the water to cool my over-heated head. As if to mock me, several trout had gathered in the water within snapping distance of me. Of course, I did not have time to grab one before they swam away. When I become an entertainment system for my potential prey, then I know I am truly on the way out of this life.

Panting, I let myself drop to my stomach and lay flat on the ground, my sides heaving with exhaustion. I flared my sensors wide open, hoping against hope my mental distress would reach one of the Signalers.

_I really am going to die here. I just never thought it would end this way, though. Stupid, stupid, overconfident Lightning Person. _

_::::You are the most beautiful, magnificent creature I have ever seen.::::_

The thought pulled me from my self pity. I don't consider myself any handsomer than others of my kind, so I knew that thought was not my own.

_Huh? _I raised my head. Something on the canyon lip above me on the other side of the lake rustled. I heard a pebble break loose and drop down to vanish among the rocks and grass. It was like no pebble I had ever seen; it was more like a thick stick with a carbonized tip. I looked up in the direction of where the object had fallen.

The young Firemaker who had freed me yesterday was sitting on the opposite canyon lip, its back legs folded beneath it. It had some sort of small plank balanced on its legs and was looking down at where the object had fallen. It gave a gasp when it realized I was looking at it, the pupils in its eyes dilating to that endless dark hole that can make Firemakers so terrifying in appearance.

I waited for it to shoot something out its front paws to hurt me at this not so far distance. But it did nothing of the sort. Instead, it actually relaxed a bit and looked at me with something I thought might be curiosity.

Then it occurred to me that the thought transmission my sensors had picked up had come from this dangerous creature. It thought I was beautiful, magnificent? Not evil, terrifying? Maybe it meant me no harm? More so- I actually picked up a thought from a FIREMAKER!

That was not supposed to happen. I could communicate in thoughts and images with the People of all species. I could easily pick up thoughts from other animals, though they manifested more like images and generalizations than complete thoughts. Occasionally a very intelligent animal of another species can communicate with me, like the Turkmene mare had when I was crossing the Steppes. Even then, though, she had to ask my permission or I would not have known to Mindlink with her.

BUT A FIREMAKER? That is something strange. This thought had been a bit fuzzy around the edges, sort of like what you would hear if you were underwater trying to hear a sound. But it had been a complete thought.

I picked myself to my feet and locked eyes with the Firemaker.

_::Do you hear what I am thinking to you?::_ I asked it, purring as I often do when I send a signal coordinate.

The Firemaker cocked its head, reminding me of a curious kitten. But it did not seem to have picked up my message.

_I didn't think so. Nope- _Firemakers cannot communicate the way do. That would have been too strange. Why, then, did I pick up the thought from the Firemaker?

He did not mean me any harm that was obvious. I blew out my breath in a sigh and watched as he put down the board and shifted himself into a curious position. His back legs crossed around each other and he placed his front legs on his back legs. Then he rested his head on his front paws.

It looked downright painful.

We stared at each other for quite a while, making no noise. The only sounds were the tumbling waterfall and the late afternoon noise of bees and crickets. From the distance I could hear the ocean waves slam against the rocky shore.

It was at this time that I registered I had stopped thinking of the Firemaker as an IT but as a He. I guess it was because he did not have the larger chest glands that mammal females have. His voice yesterday had also been lower in pitch, like Firemaker men's are.

He was definitely measuring me as well. I wondered how he recorded impressions. Perhaps that stick and board had something to do with it.

I took advantage of the opportunity to record my own impressions.

The first thing I noticed was he had cleaned himself up, so he looked far more civilized. (He smelled worlds better, too- I caught the pleasant scent of some sort of herbs mixed in with a clean lye-ash smell). Obviously he had the usual Firemaker features: large head, walking upright on the hind legs, and eyes in the front of his face (predator , not prey), two ear sensors and a long straight nose- probably good for warming up air in a cold region like this.

His legs were thin. The front legs ended in those terrifying front paws. I could see he had five digits on each paw. I wondered if there was a slot on the lower inside of his paw where he could make the fire jump out of his body. His back legs (or maybe I should say lower legs) probably had paws, too, but they were covered by fur-lined leather boots (I believe that was the Turkmene horse's term for rear paw coverings). I wonder if the back paws looked the same- they had to be bigger, though, to be able to support his body upright.

His head and face were not as hawk like as the Sarmatian's had been. He still had a long face, but it had high cheekbones and a straight jaw with a surprisingly determined set to it. His hide was some of the palest I have ever seen, and it looked like it was sun burnt (probably from his hunt for me yesterday). I also was surprised to see his face and the backs of his front paws were covered in what I could only call freckles. His, though, were reddish-brown, while mine were black and silver.

Compared to other warm blooded creatures, Firemakers do not have a lot of body hair. The males grow hair on their faces, though a few of them do something to keep this from happening. Both males and females can grow their scalp hair very long. The Birch Island Firemakers usually wear their wavy hair very long, keeping it out of the way by twisting it into ropes or knotting it up on their heads. This Firemaker had no facial hair- so maybe he was too young for it to show yet. He was one of the few I had seen who wore his hair loose. It was probably too short to tie back since it fell just to the base of his neck. The front was short enough to leave his eyes free, but he seemed to have a lot of uneven strands that kept landing in his eyes anyway. It looked rather uncomfortable. I thought his hair looked roughly hacked off, as if it might have recently been much longer.

Cleaned of sweat, his thick hair was actually a rather nice color that reminded me of oak leaves in the late autumn. I already knew more than I cared to about his eyes, but they and his eyebrows were slightly tilted up at the edge, making it look like he was puzzling out a riddle.

This Firemaker was dressed much like the Sarmatian had been, in a thigh length belted wool tunic and cross-stitched leather leggings. His tunic was dark green and had some sort of odd knot work going up the area around the front paws. He also wore a long bearskin vest with the fur turned outside.

The sky was starting to get greyer, threatening rain later. The Firemaker must have seen that, too, since he unlocked himself from the contorted position. He brushed grass off his lower legs and moved off, catching a quick glance at me. I thought he might be wishing me a good evening.

I actually found myself hoping he would come back again. He provided some amusement, anyway.

That evening, a squall line of storms ran across Birch Island. A very good way to make a Lightning Person really frustrated is to put him in a canyon with no exit and then dump rain down it. Add a good dash of thunder and lightning and you have all the ingredients for a torturous evening. It was the first time in my life I had ever been outside in a thunderstorm- - and on the ground! The lightning was the worst, cracking above me and making every thing a terrifying deathly white. I heard a bolt strike somewhere in the woods above the canyon. The sharp crack sent painful reverberations through my sensitive ears until I howled for it to stop. I wondered if this is how Firemakers feel when they saw my plasma bolts coming down on them. I felt a strange emotion well up under the fear... compassion.

The rain was slimy and nasty, pricking my hide like thousands of tiny teeth. A sea wind slammed the raindrops sidewise into me until I rolled myself into a ball and tucked my face under my wings. I closed all three lids in each eye and prayed to the Night Lady that there would be no hail tonight; I was not sure how my wing membranes would take that.

There was no hail, but the storm seemed part of a system blowing in from the southwest. Rain would die down for a moment, the thunder would stop growling. I would sigh and thank the gods. Then it would start all over again.

_All right, enough already! _I thought angrily, though I was really terrified. I often complain that the gods have a sense of humor, and this seemed a perfect example. What could be more ironic than a Lightning Person getting struck by lightning? Even more so, one whose personal name means the sense of excitement that comes before thunderstorms? (I guess the closest to it in Firemaker speech would be _Stormthrill_).

My body started to tremble violently, both from cold and fear. I had to retract my teeth to keep them from scraping from each other in my shivering. I morbidly wondered if each night was going to get progressively worse. Maybe by the end of the week this canyon would be getting its very own supervolcanic eruption.

The cynical humor made me laugh inside and that kept me warm, so I started to focus on happier thoughts. Ironically, the Firemaker on the canyon rim was one of them. That thought he had tossed at me had been amazing, as had that curious expression in his eyes. I don't know how long we had stared at each other, but it had been almost meditative. After nearly two stress filled years of my Signal work and spy work it had actually been soothing to just sit and silently observe the world around me. I got an inkling maybe my Firemaker felt a similar sense of peace, too.

_Hah. What is the matter with you, Lightning Person? He is not your Firemaker._

_Actually, _I told myself, _he is. Or he will be._

The storm was dying down enough for me to pull my head from my wings. I opened all my eye lids and let out a huge sneeze, sending an unintentional spurt of plasma out. I shook my head and stared up at the hidden sky.

You see, I had a purpose now. I might not be able to get out of this canyon on my own, but as long as I still could move and breathe, I would continue with my mission. That Firemaker's odd behavior might come in handy. I had only been spying from the People's point of view and it was not getting me anywhere. Maybe I could co opt the Firemaker into doing a little info gathering for me. I had to assume he was not going to be too willing about that, so it meant I had to catch him and train him to do my work.

If that does not work, at least I could trick him into getting me out of this canyon. I still wouldn't be able to fly, but my odds of survival were going to be better if I was out of this canyon.

But I knew that Firemaker was very dangerous. If he could knock me out of the sky from a great distance, imagine what he could do to me close up? And I wouldn't be able to escape so easily. I must not ever let him know my disability was holding me back.

My breath streamed out of my nose as it hit the cold air. He could kill me, or I could kill him while trying to defend myself. This would be a risk, but I took a vow to my People. Besides, how else would I occupy my days until I starved to death down here?

The first thing I had to do was catch the Firemaker.

And that meant I would have to use myself as the bait.


	5. The Viking Who Walks Through Walls

**Chapter 5: The Viking Who Walks Through Walls **

_And here's the next installment! This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, so I hope I did it justice. _

**Disclaimer: **I don't own dragons or Vikings, but I am owned by two cats.

_"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done."_ - (R.A. Heinlein, The Rolling Stones)

Morning again and I was still alive. The storm had brought in cooler weather along with mist; autumn would be on its way soon. Tiredness caught up with me, and I found myself slipping into sleep.

When I woke up again, it was just after noon. The sleep had done me a lot of good. I no longer hurt in my leg muscles, and the ache in my tail was now almost gone.

I was also aware that I was now extremely hungry. I had not eaten a proper meal in over two days. There was a clenching along my sides as my stomach let me know I needed food. On the good side, I was able to walk with only a slight limp, and my headache was gone.

I took a deep drink of the lake water. Of course, all the fish were hiding. I hoped I could fill my stomach with enough water to convince it I was satisfied. Then I would need to convince my stomach that grass and tree sticks were actually fish if I were to get anything decent to eat today.

The sun had come out while I was sleeping, and it bathed the canyon in a rich glow. While it was cooler, I still could welcome the chance to soak up some of the sun's energy. I hopped up onto a large boulder and crouched down to rest. What a life I live in this canyon: sleeping and starving and attempting to escape!

The smell of fresh fish filled my nostrils... and the smell of a Firemaker.

My Firemaker was coming back, and he was coming with fish! This had potential... no matter how tired I was. He was coming and this was the moment. I had to be ready to catch him, but I still had to be ready to defend myself, too. I sank into a crouch on the rock, hiding myself while getting ready to pounce on the Firemaker if he made a threatening move.

I saw him coming down towards the canyon slot not far from my stone. He had strapped one of the Firemakers' giant scales across his back (one that had rather bad depiction of a Self Burner I might add) to free his front paws because he was carrying the ... the… the… FISH! I had to clamp down on my willpower not to lose out to irrational hunger.

The Firemaker hopped from rock to rock, heading down to the canyon slot. He had to unhook the giant scale from his back and try to fit it through the slot, but it wound up getting caught in the narrow walls of the slot. Sighing, the Firemaker tossed the fish over the top of the wedged scale; the fish plopped to the ground with a lovely slimy sound. The Firemaker then slid under the bottom of the scale to work himself into the canyon. He tried to free the scale. Its edges squeaked in resistance, but it did not yield. He gave a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes, as though he was used to things like this happening to him.

_All in my favor_ , I thought. _The fewer weapons and defenses he brings in, the better for me._

The Firemaker walked cautiously into the canyon and retrieved the fish. He continued to walk towards me, that beautiful fish's head bobbing so wonderfully. Its smell was like heaven. It seemed it had been caught today.

_Fresh fish... the best!_

_All right. Time for the bait to go into action._

I took a deep breath and crouched down further, willing myself to be brave. As the human unwittingly approached my stone, I unfurled both sets of wings and prowled down the rock, trying to look as dignified as possible.

He saw me and started with fear, but he held his ground. I limped carefully forward, letting the smell of that lovely codfish soothe me.

_Think of the fish. Think of the fish... don't think of the Firemaker. That fish smells so good..._

Cursing myself for an idiot, I remembered to open up my sensors and memory stone. It was very hard to do, and I wound up letting out a growl of irritation that probably spooked the Firemaker. Duty is duty, though. I had to be ready to collect information from this point on.

It seemed to work. My sensors began to pick up signals from the Firemaker's brainwaves. The Firemaker was awed by me. He knew I was dangerous, even if I was injured. And he really was curious about me. He wanted to feed me because he knew I was starving.

That last thought actually surprised me. It seemed such so kind, but I knew there had to be an ulterior motive

I crept towards the Firemaker, carefully placing each paw down like a snow leopard would, trying to hide my slight limp. Hunger stripped my dignity from me, and I found myself retracting my teeth and growling softly for that fish.

I opened both my mouth and the vomeronasal organ behind my nostrils, breathing in the lovely scent of the cod. And, hooray, it was not poisoned! I could eat it safely!

_Ahhh, so good, so good, so good. I am so hungry... I want this fish, but I know something has to be up! _

Then I smelled the iron, and I knew I was right!

_Kindness, my hindquarters! He's waiting to stab me when I don't expect it! _

This would not do. I needed to have him get rid of all his weapons. I flattened my ear sensors and bared my teeth, letting out a heartfelt snarl. And, believe me, my People are masters at the heartfelt, ominous snarl.

_::You have a weapon. Get rid of it, NOW! Or I get rid of you. :: _

I knew he could not read my thoughts, but I still sent them, as a force of habit. Maybe they would enhance my nonverbal behavior.

The Firemaker hesitated and then opened up his bearskin vest.. I could see where the iron tooth had been lodged in his belt.

_(Ah- so they don't shoot them from their front paws!)_

_::Yes. That thing. Lose it. Now. ::_I snarled again.

To my surprise, he understood me. He pulled the iron tooth from his belt and dropped it on the ground.

I gestured with my muzzle. _::Get it as far away from you as you can!::_

He kept a firm gaze on me as he, rather cleverly, caught the iron tooth up with his right back paw and then kicked it away. I heard a plop as the weapon landed in the lake and sank.

_Pretty damn good. These Firemakers can balance things with their back paws as well as they do with their front paws. Be very careful, Nightfurygetdown._

Anyway, all threat of iron weapons and scale shields was gone. I could go into action. I sat down and did something I thought I would never, ever do in my life. This for sure shows how far I had fallen in the last two days.

I played up the cuteness factor.

It was hard to see how a Lightning Person could ever be cute- we are scary and formidable, small but deadly. We are the leopards and vipers of the dragon People, the stealth attackers. Many of us are dark in color, rather ominous. We have cold green or gold eyes and extremely good fire power. But if I were to win this Firemaker over to my side, I had to be cute. So cute I was.

Cute with a vengeance.

I pricked up my ear sensors and made sure to flick an ear innocently like an awkward wolf pup. I widened my eyes and tried to imitate a helpless, lost kitten. I even let out the most adorable little purr moan I could, though it was humiliating to do so.

_I am so cute and adorable. I am harmless. You love me. I am so sweet and cuddly. I purr in your general direction. _I sent every thought I could, trying not to send the real message: _Give me that fish and right now, scorch it! Then let me capture you and make you my slave. _

The small, scrawny Firemaker held up the fish and offered it to me.

I caught his thought in my sensor. He was doing this because he felt it as a personal obligation to help me, not because I was cute. He felt bad about trapping me in the canyon.

_Wow. Just wow. You actually can see past my fake act, can't you, little Firemaker?_

I dropped the cute act and let hunger lead the way.

I approached the fish again and, I am embarrassed to say, let out a dragon kitten-like moan of pleasure- it smelled SO GOOD!

When I was close to the Firemaker, I retracted my teeth and opened my mouth, breathing in the lovely salt water and ocean air scent of the cod. I could only imagine how sweet that thick, fresh cod would taste.

"Ha?" The Firemaker said, startled, in his alien language, "Ah, tannlaus!"

He seemed to be surprised that I had retracted my teeth. Maybe he had not caught on to the fact that I can pull them in and out by will. This seemed to fascinate and terrify him at the same time, as he continued his tirade in that sing song, deep throated alien lingo.

"Ek hélt að þú hefðir verið með..."

_::To hell with the pleasantries!:: _I shot my teeth out and snatched the Icelandic cod right out of the Firemaker's front paws. I assumed I did not take any digits with me since I heard no screaming other than a quck yelp of surprise.

I tossed the huge cod up and let it fall into my mouth, right down the hatch.

The Firemaker clenched his front paws to his chest and finished his verbalization with a bewildered and somewhat meek: ... "tennirnar?"

_Ahhh, so delicious! Perfect! Fresh caught! Excellent birch and seaweed bouquet, great flavor of pine with hints of mushroom and oak and a pleasant finish of almonds. Must have been caught in the waters of the North Atlantic around Birch Island today, August 27, 1010. That was a very good year._

The fish felt really good going down, and I was grateful I had food at last. I licked my lips in appreciation.

But, where were my manners? My mom would be so ashamed of me! I remembered all those trips to  
the temples in the Pamirs and the few visits from Lightning People who came with fish for us to share!

I choked down my inhibitions in the name of politeness and approached the Firemaker, giving him a purr of reassurance as I did so.

He did not get it and went on the defensive, backing away. "Uh, uh, nei, nei, nei!"

I gestured with my nose, and he fell backwards against a mossy stone, a strange parody of how I had pushed him against a mossy stone two days ago when he freed me. From the almost apologetic, surrendering gestures of his small front paws, I guessed he might be upset that he did not have more fish and that the next course of the day would be Firemaker Flambe, "'Ah... urrr... Ek er ekki með fleiri...!"

With as much dignity as I could summon, I said the Prayer of Gratitude for a Guest's Kindness and did the Honorable Regurgitation of Respect.

I am not sure my Firemaker was as honored as I had hoped. When I deposited half of the cod with dignity in his lap, he looked up at me with disgusted confusion.

Hoping to put him at ease, I sat back on my haunches, imitating the way he was sitting. I made my eyes as big and disgustingly cute as possible. We looked at each other for a moment.

And another moment.

And another moment.

A hint was needed. I gestured down to the fish and back up.

He looked down to the fish and back up.

He sighed and my sensors picked up _::::No.::::_

I looked back: _::Yes.::_

_:::: No no no no no and no ::::_

_::Ohhhhh, yes.::_

_:::::Sigh of submission.:::::_

He steeled himself and took a bite of the cod, his eyes closed in forced endurance. He pretended that it was really good, but I knew he was faking it. I did appreciate his courtesy in pretending otherwise. It showed he had some potential to be trained.

He chewed the fish and held the rest of up to me, gesturing about how "delicious" it was and making fake sounds of delight.

Wanting to finish with the formalities, I helped him along by gesturing that he needed to swallow the fish.

_::::: Ah- er- ah...:::::_

He summoned a breath and swallowed the fish. Then he started to regurgitate it back up.

I was touched by his kindness.

_::It's okay. You don't need to share your portion with me. That is all for you.::_

He choked it back down with a nasty swallowing sound and gave out a weak gasp of relief when it was over.

I gave a nice smacking sound to show I approved.

He probably did not want to offend me, so he pretended to be happy about it and gave me a grin.

_Holy Sky Mother- what big front teeth he has, and a diastema, too! Does he have horse in his ancestry? Wait a minute. Why is it that most animals bare their teeth when they are mad, but Firemakers bare their teeth to show they are being friendly?_

Interesting. Now it was my turn to learn something. Curious against my cynicism, I found myself imitating the Firemaker's expression. I retracted my teeth to show non aggression and I smiled. It took a lot of work. The jaws of Lightning People are wired for snarling, not smiling. But somehow I got all the gums to work and then I was imitating my Firemaker.

I still think I must have looked quite weird. The Firemaker did seem to get what I was trying to communicate, though.

His creepy round-pupiled eyes widened in wonder, and then he did something that freaked me out.

He stoody up and raised his front paw to me. The front paws of a Firemaker are their most dangerous part. For him to raise them to me was telling me he intended to hurt me.

I jumped into defensive mode, laced back my ear sensors, pulled my teeth out to their sharpest and snarled good and loud.

He had the sense to step back, and I launched away from him, fleeing back towards the far edge of the canyon.

I wound up crashing back to the ground, but I was far enough from him that if he decided to shoot fire or iron or vine net at me I might be able to escape. For about, oh, two seconds.

I snarled, warning him to keep back. I then found a soft leafy area to rest and turned in a circle, blowing a plasma flame to make a nice warm nest. I curled up in it, frustrated. Why did the stupid Firemaker have to go and hold his front paw out to me? That just made it harder for me to trust him! I realized I had had enough of this "Trap the Firemaker" game and just wanted to be left alone. I hoped he'd take the hint and leave.

I heard a bird chirp and looked up to see a sparrow before it took off from its nest with unhatched eggs. I felt a sadness come over as I realized I was never going to be able to fly again.

Something moved to my right, and I saw the Firemaker had approached to sit close to me, and he was sitting in that painful contortion. He smiled and gave me a friendly wave of a front paw.

I let out a moan of long suffering exasperation and turned my body away from him. I swung my damaged tail around so I could hide my face behind what was left of my tail.

I heard something shuffling on the grass, moving closer without standing up. I snapped my head up just in time to see the Firemaker was reaching out to touch my amputated tail.

I pulled my tail back and gave him a vicious snarl. Was it not good enough he had damaged part of the tail, crippling me? Did he want to inspect his handiwork? Figure out how to cut the whole tail fin structure off?

He stood up on his hind legs quickly, turned around and sauntered off back where he came from, looking as if he were on a lovely summer walk on the beach. He also started whistling casually as he walked off. I snorted at him.

I did not believe it for a minute.

Moving away from the nest, I found a solid oak tree, hopped on it and clutched it with my back claws. I let myself drop down like a bat and folded my wings around me, hooking my tail over the tree limb. I hoped the Firemaker would go away. I closed my eyes to block him out. The soothing sounds of the lake and waterfall put me into a relaxing trance.

The westward sinking sun in my eyes roused me. I pulled my wings aside and opened all my eye lids. When I saw the Firemaker was still here, I actually caught myself crooning in surprise.

He must be a lot more tenacious than I thought. But what in the Sky Lady's name was he doing?

The Firemaker had moved himself far from me and was now seated on a log with his back to me, facing the lake. He was not the least interested in me. And he was humming something to himself. I had never heard a Firemaker make music with his voice that way. I rather liked the melody; it seemed to be descend down note by note and then back up to descend back down again, playful and yet soothing.

I pulled myself from the tree and pretended to saunter to the lake, not caring what I saw. That way, when I suddenly "saw" the Firemaker, I could move in and see what he was doing. (Well, would ya look at that? One of the natives is engaged in a charming local ritual! Let's take a look, shall we?)

I came up behind him and peered over his shoulder. He glanced up at me out of a corner of his eye and then went back to pretending he was ignoring me.

He was holding a long stick in his left front paw and using it to make lines in the sandy dirt at his feet. How odd! The Firemaker kept on humming, laying a nonchalant head on his right front paw and balancing his right front leg on his hind leg.

I crooned in surprise, as I actually could see the lines beginning to take shape under the stick. A head appeared, then two pointy ear sensors, middle and cheek sensors. Finally, two large eyes with elliptical pupils.

He was drawing me! I could not help but be impressed. This was how Firemakers recorded their memories, then! My sense of curiosity won out over my caution, as I suddenly wanted to try to do the same thing. Besides, if it helped make the Firemaker trust me more, then I was open to new ideas.

I trotted away, actually bouncing a bit on my heels, like a kitten. I could not believe I was getting so excited about something so insignificant. Oh, how low the mighty have fallen!

I used my jaws to break a huge, leafy branch from a young oak sapling and came trotting back. Now it was the Firemaker's turn to be bemused as I started drawing the Firemaker.

Turns out, this was harder than it looks, especially since I had to use my mouth, not my paws. I could not get the fine detail to draw the Firemaker's head. The lines just went all over the place. So, instead, I looked back at him, looked at him closely, and then drew his thoughts. It was lots of tangled lines running in circles, but it was also very complex, and all those thoughts did hook up in a way that made sense, even if other Firemakers thought my Firemaker was stupid and worthless because he was smaller and weaker than they were.

Wow! I really was reading this Firemaker's mind!

The Firemaker continued to watch me, fascinated, even when I accidentally clipped his head with the sapling.

Impressed with my now finished handiwork, I tossed aside the sapling branch , purred, and stepped back for the Firemaker to admire it.

He seemed lost between wondering just what in the frozen hells it was and true admiration. Mostly, he was surprised I had imitated his drawing method.

The Firemaker stepped forward, planting a foot on one of the lines of the drawing. I felt offended by it.

I snarled at him in irritation an laid back my ear sensors in fury.

Why could he not show some common courtesy? I did not step on his drawing!

The Firemaker lifted his foot up.

I purred at him and raised my ears to show I appreciated his understanding.

Then, as if he was testing something, he put his foot back down again on the line. And, again, I growled.

He lifted his booted foot up again. I crooned sweetly, again.

And, again, he put his foot down on the line.

Mendacity! I crouched down again, growled, and this time made ready to pounce. I was the one who was supposed to do naughty things like this, not him! But I would play this game as long as he would.

Never, ever try to outstubborn a Nightfurygetdown!

The Firemaker raised his foot again, and this time placed it outside of the line. I gave him an extra big purr, and I hoped he had tired of this game.

He gave me a rather sweet smile and then proceeded to work his way out of the drawing.

He made sure not to put his feet on any of the lines. Since I had completely closed him in, he had quite a journey ahead of him. In a way, I had unintentionally drawn a maze around him, a pathway leading to... well, me.

He was going to have to walk through the walls to get to me.

The curvy lines caused him to have to twist around and weave back and forth, but I picked up from his thoughts that he liked the challenge of it. He had not had this much fun in a long time. He actually started to get springier in his step. He stuck his upper legs out to balance himself and, since he was still humming that melody, it almost seemed as though he was dancing.

He did not know it, but his voice and movements were infectious. I started to move my feet the same way , mirroring his motions and then we were both dancing together and yet apart.

It was actually amazing to be able to interact with someone like this, and I wished so much another Person could have been there to record this image. Better yet, I felt as though some of those walls of anger and loneliness I had put up around me in the last two years were no longer barriers. A Firemaker was walking through them to me!

I finally reached the edge of the drawing just as the Firemaker stepped backward toward me. I snorted to let him know to stop, my breath ruffling his rough-cut hair.

He spun around and threw an instinctive paw up to protect his face, but then lowered it.

We were closer than we had ever been. I could now see the details of the Firemaker's freckles, the flecks of gold in his grey-green eyes and even an old scar on his chin. That scar, oddly, matched a similar scar I had on the same side of my neck. (Souvenirs of a valuable lesson I learned when I asked an elderly snow leopardess if she had age spots. Her reply was a cutting remark spotted with anger.)

I waited, not sure in the strangeness of this moment what to do next. Nightbirds began to sing, the wind sighed along the lake. A rabbit moved through the brush behind me.

Slowly, carefully, the Firemaker raised his right front paw - no- my sensors let me know it was called a hand.

I snarled, but not as menacingly as before. I wanted him to know that I still did not trust him when he made a gesture like this.

The Firemaker pulled his hand back, gave me a poignant look. He closed his eyes and turned his head to look the other way. Then he slowly stretched his hand out to me, the digits with their bitten nails spread wide to show no weapon was there.

He was telling me, in his own way: do as you will.

I could now see there was no slot, no hidden way to conceal fire or weapons. There never had been. I let my breath run out from my nostrils. He was completely at my mercy. I could bite his hand off, blast him with a plasma bolt, crush his head in my jaws...

The Fifth Commandment ran through my mind:_Never, ever get within range of a Firemaker's Paws._

Well, I've pretty much gotten myself in enough trouble already, so why not break this one, too?

Hoping I had not just surrendered to an attack from the outstretched hand, I closed my eyes and slowly lowered my head until my muzzle touched his hand.

And nothing happened.

And everything happened.

I had not expected the deadly hand of a Firemaker to be so warm or soft. My sensors, roused by the physical contact, began pulling in impressions from the human... not Firemaker... a human Viking teenager.

Stubborn, daring, impulsive and sarcastic. But also kind, inventive, playful, curious and thoughtful.

Those are my personality traits exactly.

I opened my eyes to see the human had opened his as well and turned his head back to me. We gazed at each other. I had the impression I was looking into a deep, clear pond and seeing my reflection. But I was looking at myself if I were a Firemaker.

The moment ended as my cautious nature rose up. I gently took my muzzle from the human's hand and whuffled a deep breath. He just stared back in amazed wonder. I snorted and then flew off a short distance.

I landed and turned to observe the human.

He remained in place for a few moments more. He finally broke out of his trance and walked back to the slot where he had entered. This time he was able to free the jammed-in large scale, as if interacting with me had given him a strength he did not have before.

He turned back to me, and I padded over to watch him in farewell.

"I have to go home now," he said, "But I'll be back tomorrow. And I'll bring more fish."

And another thought: _:::::Thank you. Thank you.::::_

He moved up the slot and climbed onto the rocks leading out of the canyon, the scale balanced on his back.

There was a lightness to his movement that had not been there before.

_::I'll be right here, Firemaker.:: _I thought back.

And then it hit me. For the first time, I understand the Firemaker's language perfectly.

Wow. Two days ago I had experienced the worst day of my life. Now I had experienced one of the best.

* * *

Thanks for reading this! Everytime I see this scene, I get a craving for sushi. I know. I am sick.

Anyway, thank you to Whitefang333 for his assistance with the snow leopard's reply to Toothless' inappropriate question. You can check out his story "The Truth is A Shard of Ice." It's a great one!


	6. Have Tail Fin Will Travel

**Chapter 6: Have Tail Fin- Will Travel **

**Disclaimer:** Dis- A word meaning "not". Claimer- from the Latin 'Clamare': to cry out or shout. Put them together and it means that I don't own the characters here.

_"Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do." _(R.A. Heinlein- Waldo & Magic, Inc)

* * *

Tonight, I kept myself busy. The confidence I had seen in the Firemaker when he left the canyon was infecting me, too. And that gives you the special "Wheehaa!" to accomplish something you could not have one hour ago.

So, I was able to snatch up a medium fish from the pond and make my way to the patterned drawings I and my human had made.

The Firemaker had filled my head with some new ideas. If there was a way to use drawings with sticks to record memories, then why not use my recorded espionage data to do the same? I know we are supposed to send my memories on to others to decide what to do about the situation, but who would I share my espionage work with now? This time I left the oak sapling where it was and clamped the Firemaker's birch stick in my mouth. It gave me more precision, and I liked to think some of that magic rubbed off on me.

I spent the next few hours reading my memory stone and scratching in coordinates, using my own silly maze I had drawn for the human as a template. I scratched in the origin points of the various flocks of People when they started to invade Birch Island, then their various attack maneuvers and, finally, the flight they took out of the village (based on the data collected from the attacks before the last one, of course, since I had been put out of commission).

Finally I sketched in a rough idea of where all the Lightning Signalers had their Signal stones- just to give a reference point.

What I came up with was interesting.

My People had been emerging from all directions but then they hit an area where they would all immediately turn toward the Birch Island, no matter their origination. And, at the end, they headed back to that area. What stood out was there was a zone of no activity- no movement, and yet all my People were heading that direction. Something was influencing them and yet leaving no trace. That region was one that should have been comfortably marked in our Signaler Network. Why was it showing as invisible with my data... was something blocking it out? Did my father wind up heading there to check out the patterns and get overwhelmed by something?

I would have to puzzle that out. I found myself grateful to the Firemaker that he had shown me this way to get this far with his crazy stick drawing. I definitely would have to keep my eye on him. Maybe, just maybe, he might have a key to this whole issue.

I just didn't want to have to give up my freedom to discover what that key could be. Plus, I had to keep reminding myself he was a means to the end. As soon as I got him to help me out of this canyon, if he was of no further use to me, I would need to ditch him and get on with my mission.

Yes, I know. I sound like a very nasty Lightning Person. I had just had the most amazing bonding experience, but you have to remember I am a free spirit, the end product of generations of wild, isolated People. The Firemaker and I had taken a first step to understanding each other, but I still was fighting my survival instincts and my duty to my mission. Training a Firemaker by letting him think he is training you is a very complex and dangerous process.

If you don't do it right, one of you winds up with a broken spirit.

I'd prefer it was neither of us.

Dawn was starting to paint ribbons across the horizon- the Sky Lady is fanning the embers of the sky into light again, we People say. I yawned and took a long look at that new pattern I had drawn, memorizing it into my memory stone for my mission. I really hoped it would help us come up with a way to solve this problem.

* * *

It was still the greyness of dawn, birds starting to call, when I was awakened from a light doze by a strange call filtering through the canyon, something that sounded like:

"TOOOOOTHLESS! OH, TOOTHLESS!"

It was my Firemaker, come back again! I wanted to kick myself, but I actually perked up at his voice.

Except- who is Toothless?

_Oh, dear._

_I hope this ''Toothless" is not who I think this Toothless is. _

I looked around to see if there were any lynx or wolves or rabbits or... nope. Just me.

_Darn _.

My little Firemaker came in front of me, hefting a basket over one shoulder and some leather bundle under his other arm. That had to be quite a load, and it hit me for the first time that he may look skinny, but he was stronger than he seemed.

"Hi, Toothless. I brought you breakfast. I hope you're hungry!" The Firemaker placed down his basket and I could smell the heavenly scent of fresh fish.

I think my jaw was open and I had a glazed look in my eyes. My Firemaker probably thought I was reacting to the fish.

_Midnight. Black Adder. Deadly Nightshade. Darkheart. Ravenshadow. There are a thousand cool names out there... and he has to call me... (arrrrrgghhh!) Toothless? Even Blackie is better than that! _Granted, the Turkmene called me 'Freckles,' but that was different, because she had let me call her 'Horsebutt' so we were both insulting each other.

_But Toothless? Why not just call Me Adora Bell or Pansy?_

I snorted and rolled my eyes as my Firemaker put down his load. I really should not get blasted out of the sky over this. After all, I was going to use the kid for info collection. It really did not matter what he called me, so long as it was not late for mealtimes. Maybe having a dumb name would keep me from getting too close to him.

_Oh, the things I have to do for science. _

I approached the Firemaker cautiously.

_::So I am... hrrrrhhhh... Toothless (even if I am not, technically)::_

I gestured my muzzle at him, _::What do they call you?:: (Oh, please make it something really awful!)_

I doubt he "heard" me. He busied himself with working the latches on the basket open.

"I've got many names myself... usually 'Hey, you!', 'Get out of there!', 'Get back in the house!,' 'What's the matter with you, ya scrawny, mutant weirdo?' and my personal favorite; 'Loser.' "

He gave me a happy little salute, "But the name I was born with is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

(That's what my signal device heard. When he said it, though, he was speaking Norse, so that lovely moniker came out as "_Hiksti Hrillifantur Hlýri Þryðja"_)

_::Bless you!:: _I thought-sent. _::I hope your cold gets better.::_

"_Já,_ I know, Hiccup- it's a stupid name, but we have worse. We even have a man in the village called 'Ack' and another called 'Hoark.' Our parents give kids hideous names to keep away trolls and gnomes."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Well, Toothless, do you see any trolls or gnomes around here this moment? "

I shook my head.

"I rest my case!"

The Firemaker- I'll use the name _Hiccup_ - kicked over the basket and a lovely buffet spilled out in a heavenly display of slime and fish perfume.

"Ugh, that's disgusting. Lessee.. we have fresh salmon, Icelandic cod- guaranteed volcanic ash free, I might add- and, look, even a smoked eel."

_What?_I backed up, snarling, showing my teeth. I can't explain why I hate eels. Is it their nasty array of bones that choke the throat? Is it that some of them have electric shocks? Is it their creepy sneak attacks that go for our eyes when we are plunging our heads in the water? It's buried so deep in our evolution we dragons will never know. I still like them about as much as I'd like eating tar.

My Firemaker- Hiccup- dropped the eel well away from the movable feast and wiped his hand on his vest, "Okay, okay. It's not my favorite, either. "

(Actually- my sensors picked up he was really fond of eel, smoked or otherwise, but he was trying to be friends. His mom apparently made an excellent eel pie. And, yes, I did feel a tinge of sorrow when he thought about his mother. So, someone else besides me has lost a parent, too).

I went to the basket and dug right in, making up for days without proper food. It was SOOO GOOD! And that boy knew how to pick fish. It was fresh, juicy, just perfect!

As I ate, I heard him muttering something about just minding his own business as he moved away from me, towards my tail, with that leather bundle in hand.

I stuck my head into the basket to try and dig out some of the fish that were still lodged in the bottom. I was aware of something tickling my amputated tail, so I flicked it a few times to dislodge whatever it is. Someone grunted "Argh!" and I felt something slip around the spine of my tail.

And then, amazingly, my tail felt whole again. I pulled my head from the basket, pricked up my ears and crooned in surprise. Hiccup was mumbling something about "it" working.

_Well, how about that? That boy is trying to fix my tail!_Excited, I spread my wings out slowly.

Whatever it was he was doing back there, it actually balanced well against my remaining aileron. This might actually work! Not willing to wait, I launched into the air. I was a creature of the sky for the first time in days!

The ground surged beneath me, the canyon rushed by and suddenly I was out of the cursed trap! I was free!

"Whoooooaaaaa! Ahhhhhhhhh! NO! NO! NO!"

I seemed to have brought a passenger with me unless I somehow picked up the ability to scream like a terrified human. (I have my many talents, but I am afraid human speech is not one of them)

Nope, he was clinging to my tail with hands and feet, screaming his head off. I tried to think of happier things instead.

_Oh, lovely, lovely! I am flying again!_

Then I felt the new tail fin fold in on itself and I started to fall towards the ocean. A sense of helpless rage filled me and I added my roar to Hiccup's screaming.

I felt his hand on my tail spine for a moment like a reassuring promise, then it moved away, something snapped loudly and then the fake fin opened again. I barely skimmed the ocean instead of falling in and killing us a little. I launched back up again, soaring high above the coastline.

_I will never, ever, ever take flight for granted. Ever! _I appreciated the gift and how the ocean rippled in shades of blue and green and gray. The Birch Island sparkled with its own lacy forests, the leaves starting to go gold with the first touch of fall. I stretched out my main wings, spread my second set to even out the distribution and breathed in the sweet, cool scent of the sky and clouds.

My kidnapped passenger seemed to be impressed as well. He had gone silent, but I heard a gasp of amazement as he saw his home island from the air for the first time. Take my word on that- you'll never forget that view. Ever.

My new tail fin suddenly shifted to the left and I felt myself turning and angling back again for the Birch Island.

"Yes! Oh, my gods! It's working! Oh, YES!" My passenger was yelling in joy now.

The shift of warmer air currents took me upwards, ocean-salty wind singing down along my ear sensors.

My Firemaker found himself upside down while clinging to my tail for a moment, and I picked up fear from him but also wonder and joy.

Then we were both right side up again, soaring back into the canyon. I skimmed low over the lake, the green-grey water reflecting back my underbelly as I flew over head.

"Y-Yes! I-I did it! I DID IT!" Hiccup whooped in joy as I skimmed over the water.

I glanced down and back at my tail and gave him a caustic look.

_::Excuse me, but I'm the one doing the flying here.! And, to be honest, if I am flying, I really don't need YOU on my tail. Thanks for the tailfin, but I'll take it from here. So, ride's over! End of the line! Jump off into the lake, please, and mind the waterweed. Have a nice day! :: _

Helped overboard by me, Hiccup yelled in shock (He had discovered that Viking teenagers do not fly indefinitely. Damn that gravity). Hiccup hit the water, skittered across like a tossed stone and then sank under the surface.

So now, I was finally free on my own, and with a new tail fin! This mission was going better than planned! I had ditched the human and was on to finish my mission! The galaxy was mine to conquer.

Well, at least for .000000009999999 of a second. Then it all went south. Very south.

The new tail fin fanned in again and, since I could not open it, I lost my balance and crashed into the lake along with Hiccup, roaring in angry surprise. Being much heavier, I sank much further, right to the algae and waterweed level where your Paws. Go. All. Slimy. And. Yucky. Eeew.

_Bloody cold water! Arrghhh! _I shot back to the surface, wreathed in an undignified cape of algae and waterweeds. I snorted water out of my nose, dislodging a rather indignant dragonfly.

Behind me, my Firemaker was hopping up and down in the shallower part of the water whooping loudly and punching the air with his front paws: "Yes! Yes! Whoooooohoooo! YES!"

I was glad someone was having fun. I gritted my teeth and slogged out of the water. I love to splash and play in the water. But it's got to be my choice. I don't enjoy being thrown into it.

I shook myself mightily until water and weeds spattered everywhere, then pulled my tail around to take a look at the new tail fin. It rested comfortably against my tail bone, the remaining bits of skin and spines resting delicately on top of it.

It was a work of genius. What else could I say? The Firemaker had recreated in leather and metal an exact replica of my missing aileron. He'd measured it so well that it balanced my real aileron perfectly.

How had he done that, a Firemaker from a primitive society on the edge of Europe? For just a few moments, I had been able to touch the sky again, thanks to a barbarian Firemaker.

Then I was glad I had fallen in the lake, for now I had lots of water dripping down my face.

Hiccup stumbled out of the water, his clothes heavy and sodden, his breath streaming out in the chilly dawn air. Mammals! He seemed not to notice he was dripping wet and freezing. Instead he sloshed ashore, pulled off his boots and spilled a major waterway out of each one. Then wrung out a second lake system from some sort of woolen foot covering he wore under the boots. He was shivering in cold and excitement, breath pluming on the air, muttering about how he had to install a system to help me stay aloft. I literally felt equations and scientific theories fly over my head as he muttered about how to manipulate my new aileron.

_Amazing! It looks like I have captured a fellow nerd._ I was actually fascinated by what he was talking about even if a lot of it was beyond me. I remember how the rest of my family got bored with my constant theories and observations, so it was kind of nice to bask in nerdism. Especially after being forced to be alone for so long.

While he wrung out his bearskin vest and wrung out a theory on wind resistance, I blew a plasma circle around me to create a warm nesting area. I lay down and curled up, hoping he'd get the message that he needed to get warm. And fast. That shade of blue did not look good on him.

Sopping and now shivering, he stumbled barefoot into the circle and slumped down by me, resting himself against my shoulder and sides where my body heat is at its warmest. The warmth of the circle took effect, and soon he began to lose that freezing to death pallor.

Eventually, Hiccup's shivering and teeth chattering slowed down and he relaxed as warmth came back into his body. It seems humans only need to lose a degree or two of body warmth and they can freeze to death. We People are lucky enough that our internal system can stabilize us so we stay warm or cool enough to fit each climate.

As the sun climbed higher and dawn became morning, he warmed up and I could relax. I slumped on my side and stretched out, full of food and the joy of a great flight. Hiccup dozed off as well, and he probably needed it. From the dark circles under his eyes, he had been working on that tail fin all night.

That's when I had a little day dream, remembering the crazy Turkemene and her disillusioned fascination with her Firemaker Rider.

_::How does that pad feel today, Horseface? Choking you off yet?::_

_::Nope. Still breathing. You're welcome to try it out, though...::_

_She just had that flat saddle with its woven leather seat. The saddle was attached to her with a strap around her belly. There was a breast band that hooked the saddle around her chest. Apparently that kept the saddle from sliding backward. And then a contraption wound around her lower neck and hooked to the saddle. ::So, how is he controlling you, Horsebutt? And how does he stay on board? :: I asked_

_::He's not controlling me, duh brain. He's asking me to go in a certain direction. It's all in the legs. He steers me with his legs and his weight, and he uses his legs to hold himself in place. The legs and the mind. That's the secret. ::_

I jerked myself awake, and Hiccup did as well.

" A saddle! That's it! " he said in sleepy wonder, "I have to make you a saddle. If I have something to hang on to, then I can use my other hand to steer the fin with a rope. And I think I know how that saddle should look."

I let out a sarcastic groan. I do not believe in coincidences, but how is it that he somehow picked up on dream of mine? That just seems to be too much to believe. I did make a mental note, though, to have lots of dreams about big baskets of fish. That might come in handy.

Still quite wet but now in the land of the living, my Firemaker pulled on his stockings and boots (with a few grimaces for the slimy wetness), slung the vest over his shoulder and picked up that nasty eel from the ground. Before he left, he reached up with an apologetic smile and swept off an embarrassing amount of waterweed and algae that was still lodged in my neck ridges.

I snapped at him in good humor and he laughed and rubbed my shoulder affectionately. He walked off, pulling bits of waterweed from his own waterlogged hair.

* * *

Whatever he was involved in must not have taken long, because he was back again just after noon, bringing a large pack and fairly dancing with a confidence I had not seem in him before.

I had been spending the time teaching myself to move so that the tail fin popped out on its own. If I got out of this canyon, I would need to be able to do this so I could make short flights and glides. I knew that my Firemaker was not going to be around to help me if I had my say about these things. He was nice. I liked him, but he was a means to an end. Once I got out of here, the mission took high priority, so I could not get too close to him. I had to teach myself how to manipulate this.

"It worked! It actually worked" Hiccup told me as he started a fire near the lake. (I watched carefully but could not figure out how he made the fire jump from his hand.) "The eel scared away the Double Zippelback so I was able to make it out of that class in one piece."

He swept an elf lock of reddish-brown hair from his eyes, "It totally confused everyone else in the class, but I figure, if you can walk away from it alive, then any maneuver is a good one."

I have to admit, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I politely listened, and I was glad to see him happy. I got the impression he usually did not have days like this very often.

Hiccup wrapped some stuff from the pack in wet clay and stuck it near the low, slow burning fire, safe for an area like this with lots of trees. He stuck another clay informal vessel next to the fire and then stood up dusting off his hands.

"We'll let the fire burn down low, and then I'll bury those vessels in the coals and let them cook! And we'll have dinner! All right, Toothless, we have to get this place in order for you." He said, walking next to me as I snuffled at the fire, "And I need to take a look at your shoulder."

I was baffled, but I stood my ground as he pulled a leather skin container from his pack, opened it, and started spreading some greenish paste on my body. He put it right on the scars I had gotten from the vine contraption. Then he knelt down and rubbed some of the paste on my damaged tail.

A cool, breathy relief spread along my shoulders, ribs, tail and hindquarters as the ointment took effect. For the first time in days, the itch and pain of the trap wounds faded away. I let out a purr of surprise. Whatever this was, it was amazing! He also ran a hand along my sides, chest and shoulders picking up where my muscles had been torn on the night I'd been shot down. The little flight we just had taken probably had not helped things, either.

He muttered to himself and made notes in that strange board I had seem him use before, what I now realized is called a notebook. (I did not realize it at the time, but the sneaky little punk was also using his the length of hands as a primitive ruler to measure me for a harness and saddle).

"We've gotta get you back on your feet, buddy. I owe it to you. If we can get those sores healed, then I can try out a saddle, but not until then. And we need to get you moving again, flexing. I can feel you have some damaged muscles in your chest and hindquarters. I hate to say it, but you're going to need to walk a bit before you fly."

I shot out a tiny plasma bolt and made a few pebbles break apart. Just sharing an opinion of mine about walking versus flight.

"Well, it's the truth. Believe me, I've sprained enough muscles and broken enough bones to know these things- well about movement, not about flying, of course. I think I'm our Village Elder's favorite client."

He gave a sad sigh, "Besides, my mom was her assistant, so I picked up a few things from her, as well."

I found it a bit amusing that someone who was so much smaller than I was deciding my life for me. However, as Hiccup spread the last bit of ointment on me, I realized, we were actually the same height. We Lightning People judge our height by the distance from our front feet to the top of our shoulders. So even though my head and neck were higher than he was, he stood shoulder to shoulder with me, actually even a bit over my shoulder. He just seemed like the village runt because the other Firemakers were so tall and heavily built compared to him.

I picked up more impressions from him as I limped after him, watching in amusement as he crushed up dried purple flowers - wolfs bane buttercups- he'd brought and rubbed them along the canyon walls and slots joking about stupid old wife superstitions. He hoped the smell. along with the human smell from his hands, would spook away wolves interested in stalking a downed dragon. I walked by him, getting that promised work out.

However, I was having such a good time listening to his non stop, often comedic monologue, that I did not realize I was flexing my muscles back into healing. He had an interesting voice. At first impression, it was kind of nasally, but surprisingly low and deep, even a bit gravelly for someone of his build. I could tell he was soft spoken shy sort of fellow, one who did not like to yell; his voice had its own quiet strength, and I found it very soothing.

As we walked, my human would pick plants, collecting them for the tribe's healer/Elder/Midwife/Font of all Knowledge. Apparently everyone in their village had the task to be on the look out for special herbs. We were also looking for downed tree limbs to set up some sort of lean-to. I was glad of that, considering the rainstorm. I think my Firemaker also was hoping to set up this place as a sort of refuge where he could escape during the day when things got hairy at home.

By the way, I would have pointed out there was plenty of dead wood right above the canyon, a certain pine tree... naaah. That place has had memories, and I doubted we'd be able to drag it easily to the lake.

Eventually we did find enough sturdy branches and logs to drag back to the lake, each of us hauling them in his own fashion. Apparently we were going to make a rather primitive version of what the Finns use; a laavu. A low burning fire could be set up in front of the opening to keep the place heated nice and cozy. Winter was coming, after all.

Eventually we made out way back to the fire. As promised, when the fire died down, Hiccup had buried the clay vessels under a pile of red coals. We had been checking on it regularly, making sure the banked coals would not flicker out or flare out of control.

Hiccup used a stick to pull the clay lumps from the banked ashes, cracked them open, and there was dinner! One container was haddock fish but he had stuffed it with some wild thyme, wild mushrooms and some salt. The other container had been for flat cakes that had slowly cooked in the hot coals- a type of rye flatbread.

I was pretty full from the fish I'd eaten earlier, but my Firemaker still urged some of the cooked fish on me. I licked it out of his hand. It was actually very good. I'd never thought of the idea of heating fish over flames, but it actually enhanced the flavor and made it juicier. The thyme and mushrooms brought out the sweet fish flavor even more.

The flatbread was something different, but still a nice surprise. My people are carnivores, but we do gnaw on grasses from time to time. The bread was thick and chewy, perfect for being a "plate" for the fish, as Hiccup demonstrated for me.

He stripped off some pieces of flat bread and tossed them at me, laughing when I would snap them out of the air and chew them, flicking my ears in enjoyment. This apparently was flavored with a lichen called Fjallagrass that grew in these northern islands.

"Good, huh? And easy to make. Like I always say: one thing the world does not have enough of is bread making Vikings."

This seemed to be some personal joke, and I glanced quizzically at my human. He took the cue and, while we sat by the fire and ate dinner, finishing the fish and bread with some fresh picked blueberries, he started telling me about his life. I listened, collecting my data on how I could use this to manipulate my Firemaker, but also enjoying his commentary since he kept inserting hilarious comments here and there that had me trying hard not to snort out a plasma bolt in laughter.

It became apparent that his sense of humor was a way for him to keep his dignity among a people who despised him.

Apparently he was the only child of the tribe's leader- the alpha male who was so good at knocking out Self Burners. It should have given Hiccup great honor and respect, but his father was very disappointed in him because he did not have the strength or the leadership skills for the job. Hiccup kept messing up everything he ever get involved with because he was too clumsy and too easily distracted. Honor was everything to these Vikings, and Hiccup had none.

A greater pressure was that Hiccup would probably be the first member of his family to not become the new chief of the tribe. Among most Vikings, a chieftain was voted into his (and sometimes even her) position by the village parliament, so the best leader was chosen. For the last 150 years or so, the chief had always been elected from Hiccup's family line. Just existing and being who he was, he was already bringing shame to his father.

"I want to be like them, I really do. I wish they'd let me show them that I can make a contribution, but I can't do it the way they do. It'll never work for me to fit into the axe and hammer warrior mode. Every time I try, I wind up just destroying things. "

Hiccup sighed and tossed gnawed fish bones into the fire, sending up sparks, "I begged my dad to let me learn archery and close sword fighting and dagger throwing. I think I could do well at all these. But my father and the other leaders tell me that those methods don't work against... the bloody fire breathing devils ... ooops, that didn't come out right. I mean... um, er- d-d-d-"

Dragons. I know. I resemble that remark. I gave a bit of a warning snort to be careful what he said next.

"Sorry about that, but it is true. We have to fight you dragons to protect ourselves. Otherwise we'll have no herds left for food, and you don't want to be around us when we're starving to death! You've been pretty nice to me so far, Toothless, but you still have to admit you guys are the ones who attack us. I just wish there was a way I knew enough about you dragons to get you to stop attacking us. "

_Aah! This possibly was the right Firemaker to train! _But I had to be careful about revealing my mission to him until I was sure of his loyalty.

_::You and me both, Firemaker. But we're only two small beings in a rather large, messy problem. We won't make that much of a difference. They write hero tales about warriors, not crippled code Signalers and nerdy inventors/bakers/herbalists... well, whatever the heck you are.:: _

My human shrugged, "Anyway, as long as I have to do it the usual village way, with the heavy axe and hammer, I will fail and be useless . And they just don't get it."

Most of this was said factually, not with any sign of whining or self pity.

He loved his father very much, so he felt terrible that he could not get things right. I also picked up on something that maybe he did not himself: his father encouraged the other Vikings to treat Hiccup like a helpless burden on the tribe. His father probably did not intend it- maybe he thought by humiliating Hiccup in front of the others, he was bumping his son up- motivating him to try harder in a form of tough love. But it backfired- every time he criticized his boy in front of others, he gave everyone in the village permission to pick on Hiccup and look down on him.

And they did- especially the other younglings. So, my new friend was growing up painfully shy and sarcastic. Every moment of his waking life, he was being reminded he was a nuisance who just could not make good. He was, well, a hiccup. Something that irritates and often gets in the way of things working the way they should. Even the girl for whom he had a BIG CRUSH (I made a note to think of her as the One True Love) totally ignored him. She did not pick on him the way the other younglings did, but she still considered him on the level of leftover ashes from a campfire or used dishwater.

The calm way he told all this made me sad. I thought of the tail fin and the bread and the baked fish, the wolfs bane and the future lean-to. Hiccup could create so many great things with those hands of his, but he was insulted by people who should have cherished him simply because he was not able to effectively use those hands to destroy things.

_Whoah there, Lightning Person, _I told myself, _I recall someone else who seemed to measure success in life by destroying things- Target Practice, remember?_

I had no doubts Hiccup was one of those poor souls who had to help fix the many things I had knocked down in my selfish Target Practice attacks during the village raids. It's easy to knock things down. The real sign of determination lies in building those things back up again, knowing they will be knocked down again by a snarky Nightfurygetdown, just for fun and amusement.

I leaned over and nudged him gently with my nose, purring to show I felt sad for him. He hooked an arm around me and started scratching me on my forehead until I purred louder.

"You seem to be the only one who really listens to me and understands me."

That actually made me feel a very guilty, considering my main goal in befriending him was to use him to get me out of here.

He did have some friends in life. He was apprenticed to the village blacksmith- a Firemaker for Firemakers, if you will. That is why he was so sooty, sweaty and iron smelling when I first met him. He loved the work and the blacksmith did secretly support Hiccup's inventiveness, even letting him have a corner in the stall to make plans and designs. The blacksmith would scold Hiccup but secretly encourage his creativity. Still, he was an awkward man, and his well meaning advice often did not come out the right way.

Then there was the Village Elder, Gothi the Wise Woman (and all those other titles). She was their healer and also served as a Law Speaker, a rare position for a Viking woman. She could not take sides, but she often did listen to Hiccup. She had been a big supporter of his when he was younger and had lost his mother. But when he became old enough to be apprenticed, he did not have as much time to visit her for her advice. So, she was not as much of a friend as he needed.

It had to be hard to be so different from everyone else, and to live each day pretty much either being teased or running off and being alone to avoid being teased. So far his own youngling companions had treated him to a great variety of personal service. He'd been beaten up on a regular basis, thrown into mud puddles, pelted with garbage. One time his cousin had tied a rope around Hiccup's ankle when he had been distracted in a teasing session with another youngling. His cousin had tied the rope to the harness on a pony and then slapped the pony into a canter. Hiccup been dragged through the mud for a considerable distance before another villager stopped the mare. The concussion and broken arm kept him out of the black smith shop for quite a while, and everyone believed his cousin that Hiccup had been careless and gotten the rope twisted around his own ankle. He was too cautious or retaliation to contradict the story.

Overall, he was the easy target for entertainment because he could not fight back. If he did, he would not win. If he told his father or another adult, the other younglings would hurt him even more. I had the impression that the playful, intelligent, good humored and highly skilled fellow here in this canyon was a side Hiccup never showed to others.

For me, as I listened to this, I remembered the various fairs and circuses I had crossed during my journey to this sector. There were always lots of exhibits where you had a wolf and a lamb sharing a cage in loving harmony. It was a touching exhibit, and it moved a lot of people, but how many of them noticed that the lamb each day looked a bit different from the one before it?

At every circus there was something called a freak show- a place where humans paid a fee to have free rein to laugh at other humans who were not as "good" as they were. I guess they went there and paid a fee to feel better about themselves.

I had never met any member of a freak show exhibit. Until now. This young man in front of me was the designated freak show exhibit for his village, and the beauty is he did it all free of charge. He performed a valuable service in his community by letting himself get beaten up and letting people realize that there was one person in this place they called "Berk" who lived a worse life than they did. You could curse the bad things that happened to you during the day, but then you could lift your hands and thank the gods of Ásgarðr that you were not born Hiccup.

Earlier in the day I had noticed when he'd wrung out his bearskin wrap and boots and socks, his arms and legs and feet were an artist's pallette of scars, burns, bruises and bandages of varying degrees of healing. Under these, I could also pick up with my sensors twisted muscles and cracked bones that had healed during this fellow's childhood.

The burns and some of the bruises were from his blacksmith work. The rest of the many injuries were the admission price the good teenage citizens of Berk paid to torment the one man freakshow. It seems they had really done some good numbers on my friend. He just bandaged them up and hid them under his clothes and laughed it off, but I could sense the anger and pent up frustration that he had to accept this.

This crazy Firemaker of mine needed a friend (maybe a fire breathing one?) to stand up for him, because it seemed precious few in his village were looking out for him.

_What? Don't look at me! Well, who else is going to help him? He did sort of help me with the tail fin. Sigh. Being nice is something new to me. It's going to be the death of me, too, I think. Why can't I just have my good old Target Practice back and forget about all this?_

_Aww shut up, mate. Why not think about someone besides you for a moment. Okay? _

Of course, I was only hearing his side of the story. Maybe he was a holy terror and raging psychopath who bit the heads off of live chickens and kidnapped babies, but I sensed that he was telling the truth.

After all, my personality is very similar to his, but I had the fortune to have a family who loved and cared about me just as I was.

That made me think of my father, that brave soul I will now never meet. All I have are the memories of his nest songs. Coming from an all female family, I had keenly missed having a father as a role model, and I know he had been looking forward to have a chance to get to know his son as an almost grown up young Lightning Person.

It made me sad that Hiccup's father was given that chance every day, and he chose to treat his son like an embarassment.

No one ever said life was fair, but it sure can be ironic.

As the sun began to sink down, my human kicked the fire out, dousing it with water from the lake. He had to get home, though he really did like this canyon. I watched him leave from the canyon and found myself wondering what the next day would be like.

When the Signalers called out their positions again, I called for help and let them know I had new data to help with our mission.

This time no one answered me. There was total silence. Were the other Lightning People cutting me off now?

On the positive side, wolves howled, but none of them came close to the canyon. I was safe from that, at least. Good on you, Firemaker.


	7. The Pathway Into the Sky

**Chapter 7: The Pathway into the Sky **

**Disclaimer: **Nope- I don't own any of the characters here. In the end, no one owns anyone and we are all doomed to be free- at least according to existential theories.

_"Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it." _- (R.A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long)

* * *

The next weeks were some pretty amazing ones for me. Strange to think I was trapped in a canyon, and yet I wound up discovering facts about life and myself I would never have realized otherwise.

I had discovered by now that my Firemaker was enrolled in a class to learn how to fight and kill my People. Not a pleasant thought, but I did remember we had done enough damage and killed enough of the Firemakers that they had to protect themselves. Otherwise, they would have abandoned their islands like so many other Vikings and Celts had done in this island chain. My Firemaker also found it unpleasant.

Since the day he had decided not to kill me, he realized that he would never be good at slaying us. Instead, he was using what he learned about me to deal with my People in a more benevolent way. (And, he was collecting very good info for me, without even knowing it!) It was putting in him a very unusual double life.

His father was on some business trip with many others of his people, so there was no need for him to work at the blacksmith shop since most of the potential customers were on that trip. Except for dragon training, no one really seemed to care where he got off to.

So he wound up spending a lot of time with me, even bringing a bed roll and some supplies to stash in the emerging lean-to we were building. That meant he could overnight if the darkness or weather caught him here in the canyon.

Each day, Hiccup would rub me down with the herbal medicine, and each day I felt better and better. He also did what he could to get me moving, even teaching me to play tag.

How humiliating that I had forgotten a game I had loved as a kitten! My Signaler duties had left no time for games. When Hiccup first ran at me with a piece of fish, luring me to chase him, I just stared at him like he had truly made that wrong turn at the road between Sanity and Here there Be Sea Monsters.

Eventually my sense of fun got the best of me, and soon I was chasing after him, trying to trap him. Being built for speed and acrobatic swiftness, Hiccup would twist himself out of my way, once even clearing out of my way with a back flip.

Then we reversed the tables, and he was chasing me, when I grabbed his notebook and ran with it (I remembered to be very gentle with it). He whooped and chased me, and it somehow ended up with the notebook perfectly okay and us having a grand old wrestling match. You know, the kind that is all noise, no blood or bruises and both sides give up with no victors or losers. You collapse on your backs and laugh and stare at the sky and just are glad you are alive. There are few better ways to spend a late summer afternoon.

About three days after the new tail incident, when Hiccup rubbed the medicine into my shoulders, he gently lifted my front legs. I picked them up for him to support the weight so he could hold them, leg by leg. He massaged each leg and placed it down again; the damaged muscles already felt as good as new. Then I felt something strange slide up around my neck.

I growled in surprise as Hiccup tightened a belt on me and suddenly I had a strange leather band around my neck, chest and each of my front legs! It was just a small harness around the chest and shoulders, leaving me bareback. He wanted me to get used to having this on me. Eventually he would attach it to the s-s-s-saddle (sorry, I have a hard time using foul language) when I got used to having belts around my shoulders, chest and front legs.

The front legs bothered me the most. He'd actually built the harness to have a large ring around each of my front legs and shoulders, and he had put my legs into them so gently I had not felt it. I felt as if my legs were trapped in the iron rings. Or, even worse, I was wearing some sort of harness like a human would wear a rucksack!

I was furious! I was not a horse, not a slave, not a pet! I am a dragon, a Lightning Person, the wildest of the Sky Mother's creatures! No one controls me!

I lashed out at Hiccup, snarling in anger. He stepped away, fell on his back and threw a hand up to protect himself, as usual facing me back in his own quiet way. He amazed me- I knew he was scared to death and often shaking badly as he faced me down, but he never cried or screamed.

I would never have dreamed of firing on him or biting him by this point, but this was humiliating! I had really opened up to Hiccup, and I felt as though he had betrayed my trust.

So I roared at him and ran off to the far side of the canyon. I refused to come back to him, no matter how much he pleaded. Instead, I ignored him for the day, and I tried to get the harness off. I rolled, rubbed against rocks, plunged into the lake but that leather harness stuck to me like a second skin.

It was not painful- far from it, but it was the principle of the matter. I did not like the idea this Firemaker wanted to own me. Where would my mission be, if I were to become someone's stupid PET? Total failure.

Rain fell during the night, soaking the canyon and making the ground slippery with mud and slick grass.

The next morning was one hung low with clouds and mist. When Hiccup came with food, I came to meet him. Hunger and fresh fish are wonderful icebreakers. I ate breakfast while he ran his hand over the harness and made sure it was not hurting me.

As I finished the fish, he grabbed a neck ridge and swung neatly up onto me bareback, settling into a natural gap created by my neck ridges. He grabbed hold of a part of the neck harness he had made into a hand grip, complete with flight straps to wind around his wrists while his hands gripped the handle as well as the ends of the wrist straps. His booted legs hung down along my shoulders and rib cage and chest, feeling like the potential claws of a predator.

Big, big mistake.

When a larger dragon tries to take on a smaller dragon the common tactic is to drop right down on the smaller dragon's back, digging in the claws and using its weight to make the smaller dragon plummet to the ground. We Lightning People fear this over all attacks. And we will fight like a wildcat from hell to get that weight off our backs.

Hiccup was doing the same attack to me, even if he did not intend it. I roared in shock and bucked for all I was worth. Hiccup went flying and thudding. I snorted and sidled away...

... and then he was up on my back again, gripping the neck handles and flight straps with his hands and settling back on me bareback again like nothing had happened.

Damn! This boy was good! He might be scrawny, but he was incredibly agile and athletic.

Determined he might be, but not very good at thinking things through. I was learning one of his character flaws is that he does a lot of things on impulse. Maybe he was thinking to get me used to him being on his back by letting me toss him off until I was ready to accept him. He also may have thought that would only take one or two tries.

But he was a Viking and a blacksmith's apprentice. Determination squared. His legs, thin as they were, were wrapped in solid, corded, wiry muscle. And they gripped me in fear, choking off my breath. That leg clamping just got me even more scared. So I bucked harder, twisted, even tried to roll. He just leaped off me, let me roll, and hopped back on.

As the drops of a late summer shower started spattering and he accidentally clamped my sides too hard, I instinctively reacted like any sensible Lightning Person would when being attacked. I leaped into flight to throw off the predator.

The desired results occurred, and I did not even have to get very far off the ground (see chapter 4 for reference points on that and how the lack of a tail fin causes gravity to get the upper hand).

Once I had lost my rider and fallen heavily back to the ground, I picked myself up and trotted back to where my human had been thrown off my back.

_::And, it's the Nightfurygetdown:5, Firemaker:0. Ready for the next round? Or do you forfeit and get this stinkin' piece of eel hide off m-... uh, what's this?:: _

He lay in a heap in the damp leaf mold not moving. He was very, very still.

Oh, no. What did I do?

I reached his side, my heart sinking. I just had wanted to get him off my back. I had forgotten Firemakers are more fragile than we Lightning People. I nudged him with my muzzle, purring in worry. I half lifted him, but his body was limp where I lifted it with my nose. He did not answer. He just flopped back, mouth half open end eyes half shut.

_Oh, holy crud! Frozen hells! What have I done? _

Hiccup was so still- had I done incurable internal damage to him? Had I... killed... him?

No. He was breathing. I lowered his body back to the damp ground and made a nest with my own body, letting his unconscious form cradle within my legs and along my sides. I curled in my tail around my body.

_Oh, pleasepleasepleaseplease. Let me not have damaged him? In my anger, have I injured... maybe even fatally... someone who just was trying to help me? _

_Admit it. You are not even giving him a chance to help you. _

_But he tried to ride me! I thought he was attacking me! Why did he do this?_

_Arrghh! _

The rain began to fall heavier and then turned into a downpour.

Sighing, I flapped open a wing over Hiccup's still form, and made a shelter for him. The rain got nasty for a little while, and I endured it. It ran over me, over that cursed harness, and down my sheltering wing, but I kept my human dry.

As the rain slowed down a little, a shaking hand reached up and pat my neck.

"H-hey, Toothless. Nice s-seeing you. Both of you..."

I looked down at my goofy human and purred.

_You're all right! Thank the gods! _

"I w-wish... I c-could make you understand. W-want to h-help...y-you fly again. B-but it...,, m-means h-have… to… sit... on... y-your b-back. Oh- ouch! My head!"

He slumped further against my side. I reached in with a wet muzzle and rubbed my face against his gently, cat like, I was so grateful he was alive.

_::Are you hurt? Can you move?:: _

I doubt he "heard" me, but I sensed from the way he shifted himself and the clarity of his eyes there were no broken bones or concussion, so hopefully luck had been on my side.

The rain fell in gentle sheets. The harness itched, but I would put up with it for Hiccup's sake. . I had already realized if I did not let this crazy Firemaker use a saddle, he was going to hurt himself badly. He thought he was doing all this for me, somehow. How could I hate him for that?

Besides, if what he just said was right, and he'd help me fly again, then I could get out of this canyon and be on my way.

With or without him.

Still- he'd taken a blow there. I laid my head down by him, nuzzled him and licked his face, just as I would do to one of my family members who had been hurt.

(Note to me: Arrrgh!)

Hiccup closed his eyes, "Thanks... f-for... understanding. I - I ...think... I am... g-going to ...faint... again. G'bye."

_::Knock yourself out:: _I told Hiccup helpfully as he passed out again, lying against my side.

_Sigh. You are such an annoying little Viking geek But you're _my _annoying little Viking geek._

This seemed to be a day off for the Firemakers, so no training classes. Probably that was a good thing. My human had not been hurt seriously, but he did need to rest.

When the rain cleared, he got his wish and spent the rest of the day riding me. I figured, if he was so hell bent on riding me to control that tail fin, then he could at least make it comfortable for both of us.

It's extremely hard to train a Firemaker how to ride you when he does not understand your thoughts. But he was very smart, so there was hope. I am sure it must have looked hilarious to anyone observing from the canyon that day.

_::Just pretend for a moment that you are me, all right? How would you feel if someone you could not see jumped on your back? You've gotta understand! That's what made me fight you! You have to think the way we Lightning People think... not the way you Firemakers think! :: _

"Man, my head hurts. Thanks for letting me ride on you for a while."

Well, there go _my_ hopes for alien contact.

_::Sorry you cannot hear me, but you really need to STOP SLUMPING and sit up straight. You're riding me, you're not baggage! So that means you have to do some work here, okay? And grip my sides with your inner thighs between your knees and hips.:: _

"Whoooa hoo!, dragon! Why are you trying to bite my leg.. oh... you want me to use my upper leg muscles to grip your sides, not my lower legs? Like this?"

_::Yes, hells take it! Just try it. Press those leg muscles and ...:: _

"Wow. It's like a natural vise, like I'm almost welded in place. Why didn't I think of this before? It's not hurting you, is it?"

_::Not at all. ::_ I told him, knowing he would not understand me, but I hoped he'd read the message in my nonverbal cues that I was making as I thought-sent. _::But let your lower legs loosen up. Makes it easier for you. Just grip with the upper legs. See the difference? There you go. Head up, heels down, you got it. Yup- you got it, Hiccup! You're moving your weight off my spine that way, so we are carrying equal weight.:: _

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!"

_::And now for the turning. :: _

And I showed him plenty of turning as we moved down the canyon, re-affixing the wolfs bane scent guards. I started turning sharper and sharper and he started leaning into the turns, working with me as a teammate so we could balance each other. By the end of the day, I had him so agile I could have shaken paw to hand with him as he leaned into me. That took some skill on both our parts, but it was a good skill.

When he was on my back, I could not see him. The only way for him to be visible to me was if he hung out over me in this position so I could see his face and upper body if I looked back and up at him. Hopefully we would not have to use it often, but we had it down pat if need be.

I was grateful for the conversations I had had with the Turkmene. It helped me in showing (lots of leaning and gentle wing smacks) my rider how to move with me.

It had been a busy day, and we had a simple supper- no baked fish or bread this time. Hiccup ate some sort of dried haddock fish he´d brought with him. The Horned Firemakers call it _harðfiskur. _He ate it slathered it in fresh butter and accompanied by more blueberries for dessert. Fast food for today´s Viking Guy on the Go.

I licked some of the dried fish off his hands. Really, not bad at all. The after taste was nice and salty and still smelling of the sea and sun and fresh air. But I'm an old fashioned sort of Lightning Person. I still prefer my fish just barely chased through the cooking fires. Or, better, just chased out of the water.

Before he left, Hiccup unbuckled that nasty harness from me, claiming he needed to get the saddle fixed onto it. I have to admit I was very satisfied to see that he was walking stiffly from having to use new muscles for riding. Now I know why so many horses snicker evilly when Firemakers climb down from their back after a long ride.

As much as I hated the riding, the company I spent with Hiccup was invigorating. It was nice to have a task and a challenge, and I did enjoy my Firemaker's humor and creativity. He really was good company- I might even admit he was becoming a friend of mine.

Sort of.

* * *

That night I could not get the Signalers to notice me. So I just lay flat on my back, wings spread out and did every offensive thing I could to get their attention. I recited bawdy Lightning Person songs, went through all the basic geometrical theorems, deliberately screwing them up, and even got so low as to describe everything I remembered my mom showed us of some Kama Sutra-type paintings that had been depicted on the walls of a temple back in the Pamirs.

No reaction. Insert sigh here. I dug in my focus harder and drifted into a level that was almost at the level of dream sleep

That's when I discovered I now had abilities I did not have before I met Hiccup, when I hooked up with my old friend, the Turkmene horse.

_::Hello, are you trying to disturb my beauty sleep? Well, you were 5 years too late! Go 'way... uh, whoa! Freckles! What are YOU doing here. ::_

_::Mmmpph!::_ I almost jerked awake to see that I was looking the Turkmene horse eye to eye. I was in my canyon still, but I could see her reclining gold and reddish-brown striped form ghosted out in front of me.

She laughed at me, shifting into a desperate back country female accent: _::And, look at you- you're all growed up, now! And quite handsome, too! I swear, if'n I was a dragon I'd be chasin' you through that thar canyon, right now. ::_

I let out a sarcastic growl _::My worst nightmares come to haunt me!::_

_::Glad to see you still remember me fondly, Freckles- or Not So Freckly, now. I do like the dark gray-black coat with the stripes and spots, though. It does look right vicious. No one will mess with you! But you still are kind of cute looking, too. Like a big-eyed panther cat:: _

The Turkmene lurched onto her feet, shaking herself. Behind her I could now see the edge of frost rimed plains, shimmering in the distance. A lonely yurt tent was the only sign of her ever-so-holy Rider. Maybe she also saw my canyon as a similar shimmer?

She sent: _::I see you've managed to tap into the Dreampaths.::_

I yawned, _::I really am not into mumbo jumbo, especially not, tonight. What Dreampaths? And step on it... I've had a rather long day and I'm tired::_

_:: It's just another level of using your thoughts. We call them the Dreampaths. It lets you connect with others who have thought speech. We just use our dream state for this. So if you catch me sleeping, you can connect with me. I'm ahead of you, time wise and sun wise, so I'll wake up faster than you. That means you had better say what you want... and fast!::_

This was pretty impressive stuff. I registered this new ability in my mind and expressed my amazement with my next well-considered words:

_::Uh...errrr?::_

The Turkmene snorted and shifted herself, the embroidered blanket protecting her from steppe cold, rippling with her movements _::Not used to having a Rider yet, are you?::_

_::Okay, Horsebutt, you lost me there.::_

_::You always were such a polite young dragon, to praise my greatest attributes. Anyway, you cannot speak to others in dreams until you have formed a bond with a Firemaker Rider. It's something about their brainwaves. They can intercept things we cannot. Hooking up with them gives us greater flexibility. So, there you go. We carry them, they treat us with respect, take care of us, and it makes us mentally stronger::_

I rolled my eyes, _::Rider? Huh? I have a Firemaker who sits on my back, if that's what you mean. He is charming and even kind of cute for a Firemaker, but he is no ta-ta-ta-de-ta... Rider::_

A snort came from the other side of Dreamland, _::Oh, it is a fine night for snarking. I much prefer Dat-duh-duh as a sarcastic reference, but that's just l'il ole me, a farm girl from the scrublands:: _She snorted with a perfectly annoying snort, _::Sorry to break it to you, kid, but you are now the proud owner of a Rider. And with great Riders comes great Responsibilities. So, scoot, sirrah. Better start that training that Rider of yours::_

_::I don't think so.::_

_::How else could you talk with me on the Dreampaths if you did not bond with a Rider? You must have. Just accept it and be glad for it. Not everyone gets a Rider::_

_::But I did not want a Rider! He's a good kid, he really is, but he means nothing for me but a way to finish my mission::_

_::Ahh, mind taking a few hops backwards and telling me more about how you wound up where you are now?::_

I found myself starting to explain my position. She listened patiently to my story, nodding for me to go on. When I finished, I crouched down and wrapped my amputated tail around my feet.

_::That's a lovely tail fin your Hiccup made for you:: she finally said, ::You seem to have a Rider of some talent.::_

I growled _::Why do you keep using this ´Rider´ term? It's like it's some sort of Destiny or something! I HATE the notion. I have a little sister named Destiny, and that's the only notion of Destiny I respect.::_

_::Why do you assume Rider means Destiny? Destiny is something you make yourself with the talents you are given.::_

_::Well, what would you call a Rider, then?::_

_::Why not a friend? A a companion on your journey? The one who will always understand you, through thick and thin... and you'd do the same for him or her. It's simple and yet so powerful since not everyone feels that sort of loyalty in life. With such a friend at your side, together you can do good that you could never do alone. That's worth using the capital R is it not?::_

_::Okay, for the sake of argument let's pretend this Viking who sits on my back is a Rider. What am I... a Steed? A- sorry for this, but I have to say it… a horse?::_

_::No. And I am not an ordinary horse, so it's okay. You'll never be anyone's servant. No Rider ever dominates his companion. Remember: you are loyal to each other. You don't control each other. If he's truly a Rider- like my Rider is for me, he won't control you. You'll work together as a team. But, to be honest, you may need to remind him of that in the beginning since Firemakers are fixated on the pretty little pony image. I know I had to with my goofball::_

That got us both to comparing notes, and we spent some time swapping Rider stories.

_::You barfed up a fish for him out of respect? Wow. I am so glad horses cannot vomit:: _

_::Did you really try to buck him off while you were in a river and then lost your balance and sent you both into a mud pit? So it's normal for us to buck our riders the first time?:: _

_::Yup... I hated the saddle at first, but now I am proud to wear it:: _

_::So, you're saying these Firemakers are good at backrubs? This sounds like it has some potential, Horsebutt::_

_::That's priceless! You drew a picture in the sand of your Firemaker! Freckles, you are brilliant! I bet you and your Firemaker make a perfect match!::_

_::Either that, or we wind up becoming some sort of weird art performance troop::_

Me: _::So, how did you know he was going to be the one you bonded with?:: _

The Turkmene _:: It does not happen right away. When I first saw Gatalas I thought he was a withdrawn loner who had no concern for anyone. I guess we sort of were alike that way. By avoiding the others, we bumped into each other, but without your beautiful sand drawing to guide us. It took time, but I saw him as he really was, a kind soul but one who found it hard to trust others. Over the days we just sort of sought each other out while pretending we did not give a damn about each other. Then one day, he held his hand out, and I put my muzzle into it, and we realized we had something in common.::_

_::Sounds familiar::_

_::But it was the start, my friend- or, I should say, Toothless. We still had to learn to trust each other completely. That will come, but you have to let it come. That's my advice. You can't learn trust. But strive for that. In the end, that is how you two will talk, not by mind speech, but by leg pressure and weight and your trust in one another::_

_::Ah, so you know my Firemaker name, now. And, what is yours?::_

She snorted playfully, _::It's not our custom to give our names out so easily among the Sarmatians. Which means my name is about as - er- silly as yours. And the sun is starting to rise, so it'll be time for me to awaken. So, farewell, and maybe we'll walk the paths again.::_

_::Uh, sure...::_

_::And, good luck with your Rider!:: _She stretched and yawned, _::I do have another question for you, Toothless::_

_::Yup, Horsebutt?::_

_::If you are collecting data on the dragon attacks on Birch Island- why has no one of your people tried to find you? I'd figure, as special as you Lightning People are, if you disappeared off your Signal Stone, your companions would be knocking the stones over to find you. So, why are they not trying? Surely you have info they need.::_

I lowered my head as I felt myself slowly waking up to a new day. She was right. None of the Signalers had been calling out for me, asking me where I was. Surely they should have been missing my by now and trying to pinpoint me. And I sure as the frozen hells heard no new Lightning Person calling from my signal stone.

Why had everyone given up on me? Or, worse, given up on my sector? Good question, and a disturbing one.

* * *

And the lessons continued. Two days later, I got introduced to my ssss- saddle.

There. I said it.

My Firemaker had outdone himself. He had managed to bring a bit of Sarmatian barbarian horse culture right into the Viking Age. The saddle looked almost scarily like my horse friend's with its general woven leather look and flat pad. It even had the original shoulder pads with the handgrips and rider hand straps... and the clips the Sarmatian had been using for holding his maps and the saddle bags in front and behind. The only thing it lacked it was the blanket under the saddle.

My Firemaker had designed the saddle to be comfortable enough I did not need a blanket under it.

But my Firemaker had taken one step more and added on extra touches for me. There were the rings that went around my front legs, but now he could spring them open with a press of his hand and then lock them after he clipped them gently around my legs and shoulders- a very comfortable way of harnessing me up, to my surprise.

And the saddle's design was even flatter than the Sarmatian design, fitting my back shape better. Hiccup had rubbed the saddle down with a pleasant (to me, at least) fish oil that softened the leather and gave it the soothing scent like that a mother Lightning Person gives to her hatchlings in her motherly kiss, all sweetness and trust. It was hard for me not to fall in love with that saddle.

Of course I showed this by running away from Hiccup and making him chase after me when he tried to put the saddle on me, just on a matter of principle. I lolled my tongue out and had some fun until I could circle behind him.

When his back was turned to me, I sneaked about behind him and spooked him with a polite little blast of plasma _:: Boo!:: _

He yelped in fright and then laughed when he realized I had been messing with him all along. He scratched me under on the shoulder in that itchy spot I can never reach until I purred.

"You are such a goofball, Toothless!"

_::Takes one to know one, Firemaker. I just did that for fun, but I did want to let you know I am doing this of my own free will::_ I nudged my human back in the shoulder until he stepped backwards, laughing.

He really was grateful and kept scratching me comrade like as he put the saddle on me, making sure the straps were secure but comfortable. He kept feeding me bits of dried fish and bread and doing everything he could to show me his intentions were good. It was up to me, to choose, but he was giving some mighty good arguments. (Yummy, too).

So, damn my eyeballs if I was not actually purring when he clipped the last strap on me!

Then he showed me he'd learned a bit from the past and let me have a few moments off by myself to try to destroy the saddle. And, try I did, bucking and rolling and scraping. It clung to me, but thanks to the fish oil, in a friendly way.

I came back to Hiccup, sat down in front of him, cocked my head and crooned.

_::Okay, so what's next?::_

After my human did a few celebratory bucks of his own ("Oh, yes, thank you, Toothless! Yes! It works!") we went on with our attempts to fly.

That meant my human tying a rope to a hook on my new aileron and then hopping into the saddle.

"Let's ride, buddy! Up and at 'em! Bite the sky and spit out the seeds!"

I needed no second invitation. I took off at a fast run. It all worked well at first. Hiccup clung to me perfectly, his thighs gripping me so he was securely in place. He had his right hand on the hand grip and the riding straps wrapped around it. His left hand held the rope connected to my tail aileron.

When I leapt into the air, he used the rope to pull the leather tail fin open. I soared for an incredible moment, gliding over the lake.

But we had a problem. Hiccup's head was turned to look back at the tail, putting him off of balance. Since he did not have eyes on the side of his head, he could not see where I was going. I had to shift to adjust for a wind current, and that knocked him off balance. One hand holding on to my harness was not enough.

We parted company- me flying one way, Hiccup the other, and we both thudded into the lake again.

_Frozen hells, this is happening so regularly, I will never have to take a bath again_, I thought to myself later, as we crouched next to a campfire.

My human hunched into himself to stay warm _::: Holy gods, if this keeps up I'll never have to take a bath again. Just riding Toothless will keep me clean on a daily basis:::_

He leaned back against me and continued stick roasting the Arctic char (wrapped in water cress) that had gotten caught in my harness from the landing. His clothes were drying on a rock near the fire and, yes, he was in the formal wear he'd been born in, but he had wrapped himself in a blanket he'd brought to the shelter this morning since it was cold and crisp, even with the fire and my side to lean against.

Since we are of two different species, I only noted that he had really pale skin and lots of freckles. He was lightly furred on the arms and chest and legs with dark red hair. Being a blacksmith's apprentice had given him iron corded wiry muscles- good for speed and acrobatics. Of course, when dressed in his clothes, others would only see him as skinny and weak. But this kid had the muscles of a wild cat- and I have seen wildcats take on lynxes twice their size and win.

But perspective is a sad reflection in the lake. If the light hits the lake

in a certain way, a talented young Firemaker can convince himself he is a failure because he does not have the sturdier build of everyone else around him. His own people saw him as a hopeless idiot, a burden, a curse.

_So, Toothless. If you are training this friend of yours to do your dirty work, the first thing you need to train him is the hardest thing to learn... self worth. He's had 17 years of people telling him he's an idiot._

_Just as I have 17 years of being told I was a child prodigy. And that means, you CAN´T use him. You have to give him something back in the process. _

Hiccup fed us the char (lovely- it tastes better than salmon) and then stood up, stretching. The blanket dropped off him. I winced at the sight of nasty blue and black marks running from his right shoulder, along his ribs and down his upper leg.

I really did not need that reminder of his tumble from my back.

My Firemaker got dressed, another fascinating lesson for me, since I have no idea how they make those furs fit to them. (Ties and cords and brooches and such, it seems). I much prefer having my own all-weather skin, I think. Saves a lot of time and effort.

Then Hiccup took my saddle and left for the day, waving goodbye.

* * *

I caught up on some sleep, and was refreshed and ready when my Firemaker came back down the canyon the next mid-day, walking much less stiffly today.

I bounded up to him, whuffling and dancing a bit on my hind legs. He laughed and imitated my movements, dropping the rolled up saddle and fish basket first. He stuck out his hand and, this time, I stuck my front paw up and touched it against his with a gentle smack.

"Nice to see you, too, sir!" He shrugged out of the small knapsack and launched into a very good impression of the way Firemakers speak in the Saxon parts of Britain, "Well, good show, then. Shall we not have a spot of lunch, old thing? Then we'll have a lovely aerial canter, shall we?"

I laughed, dragon style.

_:: Why, indeed not? Do let us carry on!::_

This time the saddling took no time, especially since I helped out with it, shrugging my shoulders to have it fit in place better.

My Firemaker took off his bearskin vest and tossed it into the emerging floor of the lean-to. Then Hiccup tied the cord around the aileron hook again, but this time, he tied the other end of it around his left ankle.

Then he hopped aboard. I felt and heard something clicking on the shoulder harness.

"Just locking myself in. I built some hooks into the saddle and they connect to a clip on my belt. Now we won't have me falling off you when the direction shifts. We had some sail clips lying around the blacksmith shop, and the size seemed right."

I heard a thrum as my human snapped leather straps, pulling them to test them, "Seems to work ."

He pat my shoulder "Ready then, Toothless. The only way is up!"

I couldn't agree more. I roared, hopped a few steps to test the new weight, and then leaped into the air.

My rider pulled his ankle out, still gripping my sides with his upper legs. The tail fin opened, and I balanced myself in the air.

We soared over the lake this time and then, miracle of miracles, over the lip of the canyon! We were free!

But the battering wind and air currents kept shifting Hiccup's foot, and the tail fin started to close. He growled (not as well as I can) and tried to right it, but the tail fin did not stay open evenly. It still flapped, and I tilted and began to sink.

"Helvítis!" Hiccup swore, as we plummeted towards the ground.

At least this time we landed with some dignity in a soft, grassy field. Still, the jolt was enough to snap the cord binding him to me. He was thrown off, but now he landed on his feet, catlike.

I, on the other hand, was engaged in far more interesting pursuits.

I had just discovered this field of wild grasses was The Stuff... Skygrass.

I had not seen any of this in a long time, so it was like heaven. The smell of it is so intoxicating, like drinking in the wind on a clear autumn night. Saddle and all, I flopped down and immediately rolled and rolled and rolled. I purred like laughing thunder.

I probably looked like an idiot, but The Stuff does that to us People. We gladly put up with it because it's just that good.

I believe there are five levels of Skygrass quality: Heavenscent, Richly-Balanced, Kinda So-So, Swamp Grass and Total Crud. This stuff created a new level- something involving touching the stars.

I looked up to see Hiccup had waded through the grass sea and was watching me. The expression on his face was as though he'd just discovered that I had grown an extra set of eyes and two more heads.

I gave him a cheerful barking noise _::Come on in! The grass is fine::_

"Mountain mint? Really!"

He tried to get me out of the grass patch, but I was having nothing of that. I chuffed happily at him and kept on rolling. Finally, with a bit of a laugh he walked off. I heard his voice floating back to me through my drunken high. It sounded like he was laughing his head off.

Eventually I shuffled out of the grassy patch. My Firemaker had perched himself at the edge of the canyon and was winding some picked blades of the Skygrass through his hands. He had a very thoughtful expression on his face, now.

"Who'd have ever thought it? Mountain mint!"

I slumped down next to him, staring into the canyon. _Whew! That was really nice! _

"Hi there. 'bout time you joined the party" he reached up and scratched my shoulder, "That must have been some powerful dragon nip. We only use mountain mint for cooking but... huh. Strange world we live in, buddy."

The riding was done for the day, especially since that last tumble had broken Hiccup's belt. Instead he had a new challenge: get Toothless back into the canyon.

Now that I had finally gotten out, it was hard to think I had to go back in that tree-gilded prison. After some tug of war on my harness, learning some new Viking swear words for my vocabulary, and liberal applications of Skygrass, I finally cooperated. (Skygrass, you will be the end of me!)

Luckily it was a short glide back in, and, for once, a good landing.

My human was still figuring out ways to fix the tail steering when he left, the saddle rolled up under his arms again. He was singing a song about a beautiful blonde haired girl as he hopped up the rock steps out of the canyon.

_"Stood we two in a grassy swathe. _

_She took me in her arms, the splendid woman, blond haired and sorely weeping. _

_Many a tear fell from the maid. _

_With a white cloth she wiped the tears from her eyes._

_In such despair is desire revealed. _

_The maiden did massage lather into my locks. _

_I will not soon allow another to wash my hair. _

_Never shall a woman as fine from this day forward touch my hair. " _

I sighed sadly. He had a lovely singing voice. And he also had a really bad crush.

_Hello, Sky Lady, Night Lady, Father Creator. Toothless the Lightning Person, here. Please let me remain a bachelor for the rest of my days and never, ever have a crush like that poor boy has. Amen. _

_

* * *

_

The next day we took a few hops backwards in our training progress.

It started out nicely enough, with warmer temperatures... a last hoorah of summer in September.

My human had had a wonderful day so far, it seemed. As I ate my lunch of fish (this time heavy on the haddock, but that is a good thing) he sat by me in that contorted leg position and told me about the day's training class.

Apparently he had brought in some of the Skyweed into the class and so when the "Gronkle" (my mind caught an image of what we call a Lava Person) tried to charge him, he'd rubbed the beast's nose with the Skygrass.

The Lava Person had collapsed in ecstasy, rolling over on its side, purring in joy. Well, who wouldn't?

His classmates and the blacksmith (who was also the class instructor, it seemed) thought Hiccup had performed great magic. All except for the One True Love. She had seemed annoyed at it all, but, hey, at least she had noticed him. That was more than usual. So maybe he had moved more up in the Ignoring Scale from the level of "Used Dishwater" to the Level of "Annoying Fly at the Feast."

The other classmates had chased after him, crowding him as they left the training grounds. They expressed their amazement and admiration.

"I wasn't sure what to think," he told me, "They actually were impressed with me. They usually are not like that. I mean, it was nice, but how sincere was it, really? I didn't want to draw attention to myself, so I made up some saga about losing my axe in the arena to shake them off."

He lifted his arms up, hooked them together and stretched his spine, looking for all the world like an auburn-haired, contented cat.

Cracking his knuckles he said, "Finished? If so, we can get on with things. I'm trying to design a way for me to use my feet to turn your tail fin, but that's going to take a few days to get rigged up. I figure it's like this..."

He leaned down and started sketching in the sandy dirt with his fingers. I saw he was trying to build a contraption that was based, marginally, on the rope and pulley system his people used to hoist sails on their longboats. He would construct some sort of foot guards ("Kind of a foot guard, but really more like a pedal, Toothless").

The pulleys would be connected to a separate gear system on each pedal. When he shifted his feet, ropes or wires rigged between the pedals and the tail fin would shift it in whatever direction we needed so I would keep my balance. Apparently the right foot would open or close the fin. The left foot would turn it up, down, left or right (and anything in between).

It seemed like quite an undertaking, but he had thought it through.

He dusted his hands off and stood up, "Strange. Usually I don't concentrate as much on things as I have been in the last few days, dragon. I actually think you're making me fall into good ways."

Since the saddle system was in the shop, so to speak, we weren't going to risk flying except for short glides. That meant ground work. Somehow my human had gotten it in his head that we needed to work out a system of signals to me so I'd know in advance what direction he wanted me to go.

He probably did not realize I could pick it up from his thoughts or in the way he would lean. But, like the Turkmene warned me, Firemakers make the natural mistake of thinking we are just ponies and need to be trained as such.

We flew out of the canyon, past the Skygrass field and a more level area of high ground, overlooking the sea.

Nice view, but it did not hide my irritation at being instructed to turn left or right based on the way he would tap me on the neck.

The day was getting humid, which made things sticky and uncomfortable. Clouds on the western horizon loomed over the sea stacks. We'd have thunderstorms tonight again, I thought- it's too warm for this time of the year. Thank goodness the lean-to was pretty much finished.

The result of this irritating exercise is that I was stubborn and refused to listen, going backwards when Hiccup wanted to go forwards, left when he wanted to go right, and rolling over on my back when he wanted to go left.

"Oh, come on, Toothless!" he said, jumping off me as I rolled, "Why can't I get you to understand?"

_::Why can't I get YOU to understand? We're a team, not master and slave. Hrrhh!::_

"Come on, silly. Let's try it again, shall we?"

And on it went, both of us just trying to out stubborn each other and getting hotter and hotter.

Somewhere in all that, in the worst heat of the late afternoon, we both snapped. I can't remember what brought it on. But it ended with him yelling at me and shaking his fist in my face. I roared right back at him, hoping I had really bad fish breath. I snarled loud and long while he glared at me, hands on his hips. He had left his bearskin vest back in the canyon, but it was still very hot today. The sweat had straightened his wavy hair, and it hung in eyes. hiding them.

We stared at each other. Finally, in irritation, he blew his bangs out of his eyes.

It was just such a dumb, incongruous thing, but it broke the mood. I wound up making a surprised sound that sounded exactly like I spoken like a Firemaker, "Huh?"

He pointed at me and broke into laughter that ended with dropping to his knees in mad giggling and me romping around him, laughing in my own way.

Finally he sat up and locked his arms around his knees, looking at me with a sad gaze. For a long time he stared at me that way, as if he were debating to himself about something.

I wandered over and nuzzled him, purring and thrumming, a little puzzled by his mood.

"Aww hells," he said, as if he had come to a decision.

He stood up, hooked a hand on my harness and walked forward. I followed him as we walked back to the canyon edge. He was strangely quiet, thoughtful. Sad, even.

At the edge of the canyon he stopped me. Quietly, he unfastened the leg rings on the harness and the chest band and the shoulder band.

"You're right, Toothless. You're completely right." his voice was level, solemn, "I am treating you like a horse. And you're not a pet. You're my friend. Maybe, even, my best friend."

I looked at him, bewildered. He wiped sweaty hair out of his eyes. I had noticed since the time we'd met that his green eyes often changed colors based on the light and maybe even his mood. Right now the gold flecks had faded, leaving his eyes a solemn grey color.

Reaching up he gently swept the saddle and harness towards him so it slid off my back to crash on the ground.

I was now thoroughly confused and let out a bit of a whine.

He scratched me on the shoulder, "It's my fault, you know. I took away your ability to fly. I feel terrible about that. Riding you was the only way I knew how to give you that back."

I bunted him with my muzzle. He stared ahead, looking down into the canyon, "But it's not fair to you that I make you into a beast of burden, keep you captive in a canyon."

_::What's done is done::_, I mind sent to him, _::A newly hatched Lightning Person cannot go back into the shell. He has to step forward and go on with his life. Things aren't the same for me, but I'm adjusting to a new way of doing things... it's just not easy. ::_

Of course he would not understand my thoughts, but I still shared them.

He sighed and placed a hand on each side of my face, pulling it down to rest his forehead against mine, "There's really no easy way for it, but I can't keep you captive, my friend. That's no life for a wild creature. Maybe it's no life to live wild with a fake tail fin that does not work properly, but at least you'd be free. I think you'd get by, knowing you. I can see you can make short glides. And no one is going to have an easy fight against you. The forest creatures will leave you alone, so long as you can hunt and fish. It's two sides of the same coin- neither choice is good, but perhaps you would be happier to live in freedom. And it has to be your choice, not mine."

He stepped back and dropped his hands to his side. I dropped my jaw in surprise.

"So, it's up to you to choose. If you want your freedom, then it's there for you."

He gave me a sad smile and picked up the saddle, "No matter what you choose, I wish only the best for you."

He gave a little salute and walked away from me, back towards his village, shoulders slumping a bit.

I stared after him and then over him, looking into the forest. I had what I always wanted: freedom! I had a tail fin of sorts. I was finally, truly free!

So why was I not more happy? I looked up and tried to see the sky through the tree canopy.

Yes! I was free, that's what matters! Sure, I would miss him, but I was FREE! My life was mine again.

Even if I was breaking his heart by leaving.

But you're free! Don't you get it? Free! Free to go where you want.

And free to choose what you want.

Finally I shook my head and laughed at myself. I let out a loud roar so my Firemaker could see me. He looked back at me.

Then I launched into the air, bugling in joy...

...and I deliberately flew back into the canyon, gliding over the lake to settle near the lean-to.

A few minutes later I heard a loud whoop of joy and my Firemaker was hopping back down the stones into the canyon. He slipped at the last moment, and I leaped under to catch him so he landed on me instead of the ground. This devolved into a wrestling match with lots of laughter and whooping.

Finally he stood up, his eyes back to their original green color, and started rubbing me all over the head, neck and shoulders, scratching me. It felt really good, so I purred and rubbed up against him.

_::More, please?::_

He scrubbed me harder, moving up to a place where my lower jaw met my neck.

Oh, that was the spot!

WHUMPF!

I dropped right to the ground on my stomach, almost fainting in contentment, grinning in delight. _That felt so gooooooood!_

Hiccup was staring in wonder at his hands when I finally opened my eyes and looked up. It seemed he had learned another useful trick to try out in the arena.

I figured if he wanted to try it out on me again, I'd be a very happy test subject. Repeat experiments, even! I was feeling very generous.

* * *

That night, we had the promised storm, and it was a doozy. The lean-to proved to be a good shelter, and since it was built under a rock overhang we were protected from lightning. We both rested in it while the rain pounded over us and the air cooled. There was no way we could build a fire, but my human had brought cold roast lamb and bread and fennel. He wrapped the blanket around himself and munched on his dinner as we watched the sky gods roll out their performance.

Sharing a thunderstorm with a friend is quite nice. I no longer felt scared and alone. We enjoyed the rattling winds and the lightning. Hiccup taught me that one can tell the distance of a storm by the time between the lightning flash and the thunder so we spent some time tracking the storm's progress.

He actually wound up spending the night, which made some sense. No use trying to blunder through the forest in a thunderstorm. Like he said, no one would miss him since they'd probably be holed up in their own houses tonight. He rolled up in his sleeping roll and used my side as a pillow. We curled up together to keep each other warm and let sleep take over.

His breathing and heart beat was very soothing and brought back memories of my kitten hood when my sisters and mother and I had curled up together after telling lots of silly stories. I had not realized how much I missed having someone to curl up at my side as I slept.

It suited nicely.

I thought back to my decision to fly back into the canyon. I now fully accepted that he needed to ride me in order for me- no us- to fly. And he seemed to realize we would do it a team.

Part of the realization that made me jump back down here was something I had not expected.

I loved my Firemaker.

All along it had been building slowly, as I had been gaining more and more concern for him. I was coming to care for his welfare over mine. And that, my friends, is the definition of love. So many folks focus only on what happens between romantic lovers, but there are many types of love, and they are just as strong. It all is based on caring for someone else's feelings and happiness over your own. And they feel the same about you.

The love I felt was for a friend, a teammate, a brother in spirit. I wanted to protect him from harm, and I had already seen he was using that amazing mind of his to protect me from harm.

I could live with that, I think.

I believe I was smiling as I let myself fall asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **And there be the end of the chapter. This was a long one! Sorry about that.

Most of this was influenced by a young adult book by David Appel called _Comanche_, a fictionalized "autobiography" of the famous horse who was the sole living creature found at the end of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This character's personality is kind of my role model for Toothless in his stubborness and pride in being a bit of an outcast rebel. But he comes to find his true owner and is surprised that love is a part of that relationship. Of course, this Steed and Rider friendship ended on a sadder note, as history shows. The book is out of print, but if you can find it, you should. Comanche winds up coming to be friends both a cavalryman and a young Native American in his search for an owner, so he sees the situation from both sides.

Oh, and the song Hiccup sings in this chapter is real (just translated into English). It comes from _The Viglundar Saga_ where a warrior sings about how how his true love washed his hair on the day he went into battle. He vows never to let another woman touch or wash his hair until he comes back from battle. He was able to keep that vow, as he died in battle.


	8. Mavericks of the Sky

**Chapter 8: Mavericks of the Sky **

_"People don't really want change, any change at all- and xenophobia is very deep-rooted. But we progress, as we must; if we are to go out to the stars."_- (R.A. Heinlein- Double Star)

_This is probably going to be one of the more Heinlein of my chapters with the idea of transmitting messages through mind implants and communicating in the dream state. Hope that's okay... Oh- and the joke about getting married at 12 years old is actually originally one of Heinlein's._

I like the Jónsi song "Sticks and Stones,' Some of it influenced this chapter, I think.

**Disclaimers:**Don't know much about Norse history. Don't know much dragon biology. Don't know much about aviation science books. Don't know much about the French I took. But I know one and one and one makes three. And the Vikings, dragons and Berk Village don't belong to me. (Apologies to Sam Cooke, creator of the song "Wonderful World")

* * *

_::Hullo, Toothless? Are you there? Sorry to bother you, but I needed to contact you on the Dreampaths.::_

_::Mmph. Five more minutes, okay, mom?::_

_::Erggh. Sorry, but can you listen to me? It's me, Horsebutt?::_

I realized I was linked on the Dreampaths and the Turkmene was in front of me. In my dream state, I did realize my human was still sleeping next to me, and the night had become clear.

The Turkmene was saddled, and with some fresh new scars I had not seen before running along her chest. Dawn was rippling along the edges of the Steppes. A campfire was burning near her, and a line of tents stretched behind her, still quiet except for some late watchmen of their Dragon troop.

Her breath streamed from her mouth and she snorted a greeting, _::Sorry to interrupt you like this. I know you're tired, but the story you told me got me to thinking. You see, we got word of dragons stealing food on the western Steppes, just at the edge of Sarmatian lands. So we've just come back from driving them off from the borderland farms. So, it's starting to happen here, too.::_

I blew out a breath of surprise _::You're kidding!::_

_::I wish I were, but how do you think I got that lovely new tattoo on my chest?.::_ She stretched her neck over the campfire, letting the flames leap up at her face. _:: I swear it on fire that I am telling the truth.::_

Usually the Turkemene was full of joy of life and a joking sense of irony. To hear her be so serious was quite disconcerting.

_:: You must believe me, Toothless. It's starting to happen here, too. People from other tribes- settled farm folk near the river, not us nomadic Sarmatians- are being driven from their farms into our Steppes. You know from experience, dragons won't come here to this part of the continent. I've been wearing this saddle for two days, now, since Gatalas and I have to be ready to fight and drive off the dragons with our unit::_

I nodded, not wanting to wake my human sleeping against my side, _:I'll believe you, then, Horsebutt. But how does my story help you?::_

_::Your observations that you've been recording. I know you have not been able to send it on to your Signalers since you've been trapped in that canyon-::_

:_: or they are just choosing not to hear me::_

I thought-sent caustically

_::Maybe we can help with it? If what we are experiencing is similar to your situation, your information could help us both solve this dragon attack problem. We don't have dragons here to record things, so you are the best source I know::_She tossed her head, sending her dark reddish brown mane flying. Its uneven length and color put me in mind of my Firemaker's own hair.

_::What we could find might help you on your end.::_

:_:Maybe. But you have no dragons there to read it::_

_::True. But we do have priests, and they understand portents. We are friends of your People, as you know. Not close friends, granted, but we co exist. I know it's hard to believe, but as I told you when we were helping you through the Steppes, we Dragon Fighters have had to step in and take over the role you dragons would have played since you cannot live in the steppes.::_

I nodded _::I remember that. And I remember those strange creatures that attacked us. You had said unnatural things step in to fill the gap, and they are not always for the good. Of course, I'll help!::_

She whickered in appreciation, _::Thanks, friend. Gatalas, are you here on the Dreampaths?::_  
I became aware, then, that her Rider had been dozing near the fire, wrapped in an embroidered cloak with geometric designs. He said something to the Turkmene who nickered back at him.

_::I need a Firemaker's help for this. Watch, and maybe you'll see how you and Hiccup can work together to do this in the future. You've never met my rider formally, just from a distance. This is Gatalas, and Gatalas, remember Toothless? He's a big boy, now. And he has a Rider, now, like us::_

This was the first time I had seen Gatalas up close. He was a bit scary looking, not like my Hiccup. He had fair skin and long blond hair, a bit matted from two days of fighting in the saddle. He also had a thin, hawk like nose, arched eye brows and more than a few scars on his young, bearded face. If Hiccup was like a cat, Gatalas was like a bird of prey.

The Sarmatian Firemaker smiled in his hawk like way and reached up to touch his horse's upper leg. She reached her muzzle towards mine. _:: Open your mind if you will- touch my muzzle, and you'll be linked with my Rider::_

This was really weird. We were in a dream. But physics seemed to have taken a holiday here. I reached up from where I lay and touched noses with the Turkmene. I did not expect to make physical contact. But her soft muzzle felt warm and velvety against my head.

_::It's not physical. We're on the Dreampaths. Your mind is filling in the details. It's the intent that matters.::_

The Rider sat back, his hand still on his horse's leg, and he said something in Sarmatian, but I heard the translation perfectly- just as I heard Hiccup perfectly, even though he spoke Norse: "I greet you, Lightning Person. Nice to see you, again."

I nodded my head at him and politely growled a greeting.

"I hope it's not too scary of an experience to see my face up close, dragon." He grinned at me, and I saw a glint of playfulness in his almond shaped, strangely silvery eyes, a hint that he was not always as serious as he looked.

_::I'll get over it::_I passed that thought through the Turkmene. She snickered softly. Her Rider reached up and gave her a light, affectionate punch in the lower neck.

_::Right, then. Down to business:: _The Turkmene shifted, the handle on her woven saddle causing the leather wrist straps to fly out and smack against the cold dawn wind, _::Can you trust me, Toothless, to think those data patterns you came up with to me? Gatalas is touching me. He'll absorb them from me and then one of our priests can read them from him.::_

:_:No offense, Horsebutt, but it sounds kind of unreliable to me::_

_::I know we are not Lighting People, but we have learned some of this from your kind. Our priests do know their stuff. We'd prefer dragons, but Gatalas and I have done this before, but maybe not with so much data. I promise you we'll do our best.::_

I hoped it was enough. I let myself sink deeper in my sleep and released the memories I had recorded and the map of the attack patterns I had made while in the canyon. It was strange, but I could feel them being grabbed and recorded, a bit roughly, but still accurately, by these two barbarians from the eastern steppes.

What a strange education for me! A barbarian from the remote western Atlantic islands fixes my tail, and another barbarian and his horse from the hostile eastern steppes downloads my memory stone. Why is that the wildest people from the outermost fringes of my world seem to have the most talent?

"We got it!" Gatalas said, gripping a fist at me in approval, "You're all right, dragon!"

_::And thank you, from me:: _The Turkmene said _::I do believe this will help both our people::  
::I hope so::_I told her, feeling myself start to drop back to sleep.

_::You know, of course, if some of your People would ever decide to settle on the Steppes, it would make life easier for all of us...::_

I laughed softly _::If you can cause a few thousand caverns and forests and mountains to appear overnight, we might just take you up on that offer::_

_::You dragons are SO high maintenance!::_

* * *

My human woke up early, shaken awake by my own stirring. He muttered something like "I swear I saw Tuffnut here last night? Tall guy, thin, long blond hair... no, wait. Tuff's got brown eyes and no beard. I really have to get more sleep I think. YAWN."

* * *

When he came back later, I'd been busy, too. I had tried to fall back to sleep and use my new abilities to Dreamlink with one of the Signalers. Maybe this was a way I could let them know I was here and had important information for them!

All I managed to do was get one of them, the Signaler from the Sheep Islands, irritated, but he just seemed to drop back to sleep.

I spent the rest of the morning doing my exercises: gliding and trying to get my shoulder and hindquarter muscles stronger. Now I was carrying a rider, it would not hurt to get those muscles able to support more weight.

My goofball of a Firemaker came at his period of the day, whistling merrily. (Having front incisors with a gap in them means one can really whistle with the best of them).

He had had another wonderful success in training, which he promptly showed me by doing a joking reenactment of how he had dropped a Magnesium Person by scratching it under its jaw the way he had done to me yesterday. (I played the role of the Magnesium Person. I was very happy. I wanted to re enact it over again, too. Many times). It also made me a bit happy to think one of those persnickety bluebirds finally got to relax- maybe for the first time in its high stress life.

The One True Love had been rushing at the Magnesium Person with her axe held high and screaming a war cry. When she saw the Magnesium person drop at Hiccup's feet, she had been furious with him.  
The other students in the class continued to be impressed with Hiccup, praising him and asking for his advice on how to deal with dragons. He was starting to warm up to it.

"It's you to thank for it, Toothless" he told me.

* * *

We continued our exercises over the next few days, and my Firemaker continued working on the tail fin system. He also made some sort of harness for himself with a stronger belt for the saddle clips, and shoulder and chest pads to protect himself in case of falls. I was relieved about that, considering how lucky he'd been so far. It looked rather good on him, with those leather straps that crossed over his chest like an "X."

One time, after a practice, as we stopped by the lake to get a drink, I saw us both reflected in the water. Both of us looked like a matched set in our harnesses. I liked it and purred.

I think he saw that, too, and grinned at me, before splashing me across the nose. I tossed him in with my muzzle.

I also continued to learn more about these strange beings of Birch Island, the Hairy Hooligans. Here are a few tidbits you might like to know.

1. They actually don't have horns! Instead they wear horned helmets, but they are the only Vikings who do so. It's some sort of status symbol for them. Horned helmets are a dumb idea when you think about it. You're literally giving your enemy a hand grip to brace you for that last close shave- the one that goes straight through to your neck bone. When the Hooligans wear the horned helmets it's like saying: I'm so good at fighting that I'll handicap myself to be more on your level.

2. They know how to read and write- most Vikings do not and rely on memory recorders called skálds. These are kind of like the human version of my memory stone. They record all the tribal deeds in verse and tell this history and law to their people. Of course, in a village where everyone is engaged in fighting dragons there are no skálds, so the Birch Island Vikings have become the first literate Vikings on the planet! Too bad they use all their writing skills to write books about how to kill us People.

3. Females have a very high status here. They hold positions of leadership, and all of them are trained in some kind of warfare. That's just natural to us People. Our leaders (those of us who live in flocks) tend to be females. Apparently, it is not that way for most Firemakers. Their loss.

4. They are actually pretty vain about their appearance and keep themselves surprisingly clean for a place that has so much rain and mud. The wilder the clothes, the more they love to wear them. My Firemaker seems to be the most subdued of the lot in what he wears.

5. There is nothing more tragically funny to witness than a Viking boy with a crush.

* * *

Hiccup continued his dragon training and told me about what happened each day. I liked that, because I was recording all of this information, too. He was getting to be an excellent (and unaware) spy for me on how the Firemakers live and view us.

He mentioned one time how everyone was trying to sit at his table at dinner in the Great Hall when, before, he always had sat by himself. Being very shy and often ignored, it was something of a pleasant surprise to have other people seek him out.

The One True Love did not seem to be impressed. She actually now was really noticing him, and not in a friendly way.

"I think she sees me as competition." Hiccup said one late afternoon after we had done some ground work training. "She's kind of like that". He shifted to an Anglo Saxon accent here, "So veddy, veddy focused. Brrr. She always gets it right the first time. I think most of the grownups see her as the perfect Viking"

Hiccup wiped a hand across his brow, clearing away sweat and wood duff. It was a rather mild late summer/early fall day, but he'd been doing a lot of manual labor with me on the lean-to. He'd removed his bearskin vest and tunic and now was bare chested except for a little wolf and hammer pendant that dangled on a leather cord around his neck and thumped against his still bony chest. Still, I could not help but notice the muscles in his arms and upper torso were getting more defined, now more whip cord and less wire. The training work with me and the lean-to labor was filling him out, giving him extra strength. However, he'd still look small and scrawny compared to his peers. But he still grinned at me with his ironic pride as he struck a Firemaker alpha male arm flexing pose for a few moments and then burst out laughing.

The training and manual labor was filling me out, too, I think. I was noticing, myself, a more solid heft to my shoulders and hindquarters. Even without a full set of wings, I don't think I had ever been in as good physical shape as now.

We were both turning out to be good for each others' health!

We were doing finishing touches on the lean-to, setting the last planks to brace it against high winds. Together we would drag a plank over (my Firemaker had been using an axe to chop our logs into shape) to the lean-to. My human would tie a rope to it and hook it to my saddle and then help with the dragging, so we both wound up pulling equal weight. He wanted to make it perfectly clear I was not being a draft horse, and I appreciated it. Then, I would brace myself against a plank while my human hammered it in, pulling nails from a stash he had stuck in his sizeable front teeth. The last thing to go in place was a sign to be hammered over the entry (Vikings, it seems, name everything: swords, ships, houses, drinking cups and, sometimes, even children). Near my front claws lay a wood sign with carefully carved runes that spelled out "BOONDOCKS MANOR" and below it, in smaller runes: "NO EELS ALLOWED."

_::I still don't know what you see in the girl.:: _I sent back, _::If she's only interested in being perfect, then she has no time for anything else.::_

I knew he would not understand me, and I had not met her, so I really could not judge. From what I knew, her family had come to the village from the Vestfolds region of Norway, so she did not have the usual hideous name. Her name was Ástríður Hófgeirsdóttir, Ásta for short. She was small and slender, like Hiccup, but she had worked her way up to becoming the star training student. She was as much of a dragon slaying Viking as if she had been born on Birch Island, more of a Hairy Hooligan than a native born Birk villager. Quiet, competitive, focused and, yes, she also happened to be very beautiful.

My Firemaker was madly smitten. It was amusing sometimes to see how his eyes would glaze over as he spoke of her. Every song he sang, picture he drew, poem he wrote... it always had something to do with a blond haired girl. I so wished sometimes I could talk to him so that I could tease him about it, just to see his face turn red and his eyes glaze over.

Every other single male in the village under 300 years old seemed smitten with her, too. So Hiccup knew he had no chance. Especially since she really did not seem interested in anything other than becoming as good a dragon fighter as possible.

I sighed, glad that we Lightning People don't have to go through this agony of dealing with crushes. We have mating seasons, but the rest of the year we can relax. I think I'd prefer to eat fish bones for a month than to be in love with someone who saw me as only an annoying fly at a summer feast.

Hiccup had knelt down to pick up the sign. He looked up at me, "You know, I remember when I was fifteen I talked to our Elder about how much in love I was with Ástríður. That was when I still had my hair long", Hiccup gestured to below his shoulder blades to show me how long he'd had his hair. ," Gobber had to hack my braid off a few months ago to keep the rest of me from catching on fire when I was not watching myself near the fire... lack of focus and all...

" 'Anyhoos, I remember that the Elder tried to be gentle with me, letting me know that Ástríður was not interested in anyone right now. And was I not too young to be thinking of things like this?

" 'But I'm fifteen!' I told our Elder, 'I'm plenty old enough. Why, according to Viking Law you can get married at twelve years old!'

"´Well then, young Hiccup,´ she said, 'You have my permission and blessing to get married at twelve years old, if you can figure out how.'"

He laughed to himself and stood up, tilting the hammer as he did.

_Oooh, cool insect It´s mine! I´m on it! _I launched myself into the air to pounce on a strange glittering insect that dashed across the path. I actually landed on it, but it leaped from me.

I growled. I swore I had pounced on it... but there it was again, dancing in front of me.

I heard someone catch his breath behind me and then that funny insect began to dance all over the ground. I kept pouncing on it, trying to grab it, but my paws kept coming up empty. This canyon sure had some strange life forms!

Finally I turned back to my Firemaker. He was holding the hammer, one hand on the top, one on the handle, and he had a rather sheepish grin on his face.

_::That's not how you're supposed to hold a hammer:: _I thought to him.

When I looked back at the insect, it had disappeared.

* * *

It probably seems as if Hiccup did all the talking, but there were plenty of times he listened to me, too. On the days we did groundwork, I'd often take him to interesting spots I found in the canyon, showing him unusual things- the herbs that we People use to staunch wounds, an insect fossil, a way to catch fish by staring at them until the fish is hypnotized into not moving. Many times we did not need to talk. We just enjoyed each other's company as we sat and watched the first days of fall come in.

The canyon's trees were now wreathed in gold, amber and rust, and the sky turned a deep blue. Birds were starting to fly away to warmer weather. The berry season ended, and now my human was picking mushrooms to bring back to the village. The canyon was an ideal place for mushrooms, and he'd bring home a pack of them every time he came to see me. It gave him the perfect excuse to go out alone and spend the day training with me.

And we flew for the first time with the complete new system.

Granted, it was me flying while restrained on a rope, but it was a good trial. The system had been attached to the saddle by now. It was pretty amazing, by my admittedly ignorant standards. High tension shipping ropes were threaded on a pulley system supported by the tail fin and by the pedals. Different gears allowed my Firemaker to let the system pull the tailfin open or closed and any direction based on how far he shifted the gears on the pedal.

The exercise today was to try each gear while my Firemaker recorded the positions on a scrap of vellum. (The writing on the hand method we tried the day before lasted as long as the next rainstorm, which happened to take place within minutes of him hopping off the saddle).

I enjoyed feeling the wind blow off me and ring through my ear sensors as we soared above ground. I'd hear a click of the pedal, the metallic purr of a gear and then the snap of my aileron shifting direction. Then I'd pick up from his thoughts and shifting of weight that he wanted me to come back down, so I would drop the short distance back to our launching rock and let him record a rough sketch of the fin position.

And then, lo, there were two Hiccups! One on my back, and one in the system.

A stronger blast of seaweed laden wind sent me flying backwards, snapping our rope anchor. After some rather embarrassing tumbles we managed to untangle ourselves from each other.

Well, almost anyway. My Firemaker hung by his belt from the saddle, reminding me oddly of a fly trapped in a spider web.

_::You okay there, Hiccup?::_I asked him with a concerned yip.

He got his feet under him and stood upright, pulling on one of the flight straps. The hook had jammed, chaining us to each other. We were brothers in arms, whether we liked it or not.

I think we both sighed in exasperation, each according to his species.

"Oh, _allavega frábært!_" Hiccup hissed between his teeth. (My sensors picked up that he was saying the situation was great, but in a way that meant it really was not.

_Huh? Why not say what you mean? It would be much more efficient. Firemakers._

"And my tools are back in Berk! Well, nothing for it but to go and get 'em."

And that is how I wound up on my supreme data collection journey. Hiccup may have been worried and annoyed, but Yours Truly was in heaven!

We had to wait until it got dark, and being shackled to your Firemaker is not all that fun, especially for those moments when you really want some privacy. But we endured it. My human did seem to see the humor in it eventually and wondered why no one had ever written a comedic Saga about two Vikings who hate each other who get shackled together and have to become friends. Or, even better, two Viking women. One of them would be blonde and really beautiful, a regular Valkyrie, and the other would be an evil witch after the innocent blond warrior's soul. Luckily the village blacksmith's apprentice had the key to freeing the battle maiden from her chains and together they would fight the witch and save the world.

No, better, the universe!

We were now walking side by side through the forest.

_:: Okay, enough! Keep up with that, and you go on alone. If you can manage that.:: _I dropped to the ground so he had to stop, too._ :: Please! Spare me from this torture!::_

"Oh, all right, Toothless. You have no taste in literature." He laughed as I got up and shook myself.  
He hopped on my back and guided me toward the village. I was now grateful for those ground lessons. In the dark forest I would not have trusted to flight. The gentle pressure of his legs and the thoughts in his mind helped me navigate this spooky world of downed tree limbs and sink holes.

Then my Firemaker started chanting some sort of Viking song:

_"Blond and beautiful she was  
Bound to the evil witch, iron chain-twisted.  
Fate was in her fortune, though  
For the fire-haired man of the forge  
The lock's key he had to save her life  
And gained her gratitude..."_

I blasted loose a plasma bolt to make my point.

"Who died and made you an art critic, Toothless? One day that poem will be sung by skálds at firesides across the North Atlantic and even into Scandinavia!"

_::And then Hiccup woke up from his dream. And stopped writing poetry. The world was a happier place. The End.::_

The clear light of the stars became clouded now by smoke fires, and I entered into a whole new society: the first free Person to be in this village!

Now it was my Firemaker's turn to get serious and mine to go all ga-ga.

_Ooooh. New world. Wow. Fires. New smells. Big buildings. Fascinating. All these impressions. So very, very cool! _My memory stone was thrumming in pleasure at all the data.

But I also caught lots of thoughts, too, ones not so different from what a Lightning Person would have.

_:::Hush. Grandma will keep away the trolls under your bed. Let me tell you a story.:::_

_::: The house is so empty. Come back from the dragon expedition soon, my love.:::_

_::: Did you know that the moon is pulled by a chariot of white horses?:::_

_::: Oh, Spitthroat, it was one year ago you passed on. I miss you every day, why do we have to grow old and die?.:::_

_:::When I grow up, I wanna be just like you, mommy.:::_

_::: Oh, I hope he'll like this cloak I'm making for him. I'm knitting my love for him into the pattern!::_

It was something I had never considered, that these primitive barbarians had such deep feelings, and fighting was not everything to them, even if they thought otherwise.

My human had to sneak us in, slinking from building to building. I followed along, my jaw hanging open and, I am ashamed to say, drooling in amazement at all the new impressions.

"Evening, Hiccup!" a Viking Firemaker called to us as I crouched in the shadows.

My Firemaker gave a sweet smile and wave, "Hey there! How are Knothead Junior and Little Gapgum doing?"

"Just fine, Hiccup! Hope we'll see you and your dad at the Little League Dogpile!"

"If my dad's back from his trip, we'll be there! Otherwise I'll be there... and with my dog tooth necklace, too!"

"That's the spirit, lad!"

We continued on our way. My Firemaker kept up a quiet running monologue, trying to keep himself calm. He did not want to draw attention that he was casually leading along his people's most feared dragon like a puppy on a leash. I found the commentary as hilarious as usual.

"Yeesh. Toothless, can you please uncross your eyes? And stop drooling. If someone hits you like that, it'll stay that way. Of course there's no statistical evidence of that but... oh, did you HAVE to stick your face in that bucket? Why not just wake up the world while you are at it. Whew. Thankfully no one noticed us and and here's the forge, thank the gods! In you go, my friend, march on it! And here I go, _off_ with the vest and _on_ with the blacksmith apron. I lead such a boring life, everyone knows that, please no one notice me, no one notice me, no one notice me as I grab these tools and ... and no, there is no Night Fury behind me, not at all. Hey, good evening, sir! ! Had a lot to drink tonight, sir, _já_? That happens to us all. We'll fix that sword and get it back to you as soon as possible. Gotta kill those dragons, y'know. Good night to you, sir. Say hi to Lockjaw for me! And oh… crap. It. Is. She. Who. Must. Be. Worshiped. Damn... I lost it now."

The One True Love confronted her Annoying Fly at the Feast. Since I was back in the stall (lots of lovely impressions and fire and ash smell. Yummy) I could not see her, only hear her, but there was something about her composure that was impressive. Strong and dignified and ever so slightly anal. She would have made an awesome Dragon Queen.

My human indeed had lost it... "Ahhh, hi Ásta. Hi Ásta. Hi Ásta."

She said something to him, but it did not sound too nice. My sensors were too clouded to pick up on it. I think she may have been letting him know she was onto him for acting strange. Normally she did not care about other people's strange behavior, Hiccup was just acting really weird. Like that wolf marking me in the canyon, she was marking my human.

I have to admit my attention was a bit limited. A rather tempting sheep was grazing close to me. I do prefer fish, but I also love to hunt, and I had not had enough hunting lately. I owed myself a little treat. So I launched after it, bounding through the open end of the shed and dragged my Firemaker with me. I wonder how the One True Love felt seeing her chosen Viking whipping boy suddenly levitate and then vanish into thin air.

I did miss snatching that sheep, but the point was to hunt it, not kill it. So I was still happy I had scared it. My human jogged beside me, swung onto my back and we rode hell bent for leather back to Boondocks Manor.

Again I was ground bound, and when I heard a wolf's howl slice through the night, I cringed. Hiccup's hand pressed on my shoulder .

_:::It's okay. We're together. They won't hurt us.:::_

It did reassure me, and I soared back into the canyon, dark and all.

Luckily, at Boondocks Manor, after some elbow grease, more Viking swear words and some well applied spit, that jammed hinge came loose.

Hiccup wiped his hands on his blacksmith's apron, unsaddled me and made a verbal note to himself of how to improve the jammed hook for the future.

"Well, at least we're getting closer. You know, there is a free day in the dragon training coming up, so I think that's the day we throw everything to the wind and do the test flight."

Two weeks ago, I would have rolled my eyes. Now I was actually excited. One step closer to freedom, for both of us!

I was feeling good as my human left.

* * *

The good feeling carried over into the next day. I knew my human was at his class, but I looked forward to him coming to visit later today.

Red and gold leaves had been blowing around me, so when I awakened just after dawn, I was covered in a carpet of the little beauties.

I rose up and shook them off. They smelled of the sharp, clean scent of autumn. It was echoed in the scent of sky.

I warmed up with some glide exercises, keeping up with the conditioning.

When the Lightning Person crashed down on to of me, I did not expect it.

As I said before, it is a brutal attack we People do, and it is scary. Being an amputee made it even worse, so when the heavy weight crashed on me, I tilted to the left, was flipped in mid air and slammed on my back onto the canyon floor. New fallen leafs and muddy clods of earth showered up around me as the dragon's weight on me caused me to slide across the forest floor a few feet.

Roaring, I shot my teeth out to face my enemy... what?

I had a rather powerfully built Lightning Person standing over me as I lay on my back. I am average height for my kind, and this bloke was very powerful. I could have beaten him at speed flight, for sure, but at this moment, it was all about strength._ Be humble, nightfurygetdown._

Behind him, several other Lightning People gathered on the lip of the canyon, ranging of all ages and shades of our near black slate blue hides. Five pairs of eyes, some gold and some green, glared into mine. In a strange side thought, I realized that none of them had my exact eye shade of gold flecked grey-green.

I was quite taken aback. You know already we Lightning People live isolated lives, and outside of our rare convocations, it would be rare to see so many of us together in one place.

They soared down to land behind the Lightning Person who had pinned me down.

I tried to pull up against this attacker's moves, but he reach out a paw and pressed me back down.

_::What's this about?:: _I asked, nervously, _::I've been asking for help, but this was not what I expected._::

_::We were hoping you'd be smart enough to get the idea without us coming here, but you were not:: _The Lightning Person on top of me snorted angrily. I realized now, from his thought patterns, he was the Signaler from the Sheep Islands.

All of these People were Signalers, my colleagues. I had never seen them in the flesh before. They had left their posts to find me in the canyon, using lighter hours of early morning when they would not be needed for their work. It was a great moment, but it was not the moment I had been expecting.

They had not been coming to help me. They had been coming to punish me.

A battle scarred but incredibly beautiful older Lightning Person limped proudly over to the bulky Person pinning me down.

_::I am the oldest one here, lad, so it falls on me to be our speaker. You know I am very fond of you, Stormthrill. You're a good kid with a lot of intelligence and potential. And you look so very much like your father. It really hurts for me to do this. But I have to, for the Good Of Us All.::_

When you hear Someone Speak in Capitals Like That Then You Know Something Bad Is Coming Up.

She was the Seal Island lady who had comforted me when I had lost my Dad. She rather reminded me of Hiccup's Ástríður in her composure.

Her dignity and beauty made her words even crueler.

_::We wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. When we refused to answer you, we hoped you'd take the hint gently that we could no longer work with you. We did not expect you to bond with a Firemaker. You know the price for letting a Firemaker touch you.::_

My captor leaned back a bit so I could struggle up onto my feet. He stepped back from me but continued glaring at me.

I stared back at him and the others, mud spattered and humiliated, compared to their sleek beauty. I could see them all glaring at my damaged tail with its fake tailfin, the glaring difference that now set me apart from them. I could feel their anger and fear and, yes, even a scornful sort of pity, like I was the attraction at a Firemaker freak show.

I had never felt like such an outcast

_Hiccup? Hiccup? You there? I am being thrown into what you face every day, and I don't have your grace or humor to deal with it. They're going to bring me down, and I don't know if I'll get through this! _

The Seal Island person continued, _::Then you started giving your espionage information to Firemakers in the Steppelands. Luckily, one of our Signalers there intercepted it. You KNOW that we are not supposed to interact with Firemakers. Yet you gave them potential military information? They could use it against our People!::_

_:: But they get along with Lightning People- or they say they do.::_

One of the Signalers in front of me snorted. _::Correct. They **'**_**say**'_ they do, but how do you know that is the truth? You don't know anything about them. They are warriors and barbarians like these people. You may have put all our People in danger, lad!::_

I was starting to lose my temper_ ::How can you accuse me of this? I asked you for help! You ignored me! The Viking Firemaker's the only one who is even TRYING to help me get out of this canyon, to fly again!::_ My heart was starting to beat faster,_ ::And, when you did not answer my calls, I knew I had to get the observation data to someone who could use it! The Sarmatian Dragon fighters I met coming here had helped me on my journey. I felt they could help with it. I trust them. I had to do this. For the good of the mission!::_

My captor snarled: _::What mission? You are a Signaler- that is- was- your first duty. Collecting the observations was your secondary directive. But it should never, ever have taken first priority. Did you take a vow to collect this attack data at the same time as you took your Signaler's vow?::_

I stared back at him and realized the truth._ ::No, I did not.::_

It was something my dad had asked me to help with, but it was not a part of my Signaler's official vow. I had sworn to uphold it to him and to myself. But I had also assumed that the others were supporting this.

Well, we all know what happens when you assume.

The morning noises of the canyon had stopped. It was as though all creatures were watching me get reamed out by a group of more Lightning People than I had ever seen together in my life- outside of my immediate family.

_::What's the first part of the Signaler's Vow?::_The burly Hilt Island Signaler asked.

I dropped my head._ ::To serve all who need our guidance and not to take sides. We must be neutral.::_

I felt a burning go up my face and not in a good way.

_::When you chose to interact with the Viking and the Sarmatian Firemakers you chose to take sides in a conflict that we Signalers have vowed not to enter.::_

_::Then why did you let me collect the information? And my father? And the Lightning Person before him?::_

The Hilt Islander flared his nostrils _::What is the second part of the vow?::_  
I sighed, feeling like a bad kitten, but this was much worse than a practical joke _::To observe our surroundings and collect information so we understand more of the natural environment where we signal.::_

:_:Natural environment, not cultural!::_

The Sheep Island Signaler swatted at me, seeming to be amused by my reaction from his paw _::It's to help us do our job better, not to change things. You misinterpreted I think. Then, again, I always thought you were awfully young to be chosen a Signaler.::_

My elderly friend from the Seal Islands barked warningly,_::Thundershadow! That is not relevant. And stop bullying him!::_

:_:You always were too soft on him, Elder.::_

The wind rustled over head, causing leaves to blow down by us. I shook my head.

_::Ma'am, I don't want to be disrespectful, but you yourself even told me on the night my father died that I owed it to him to find out how he died.::_

_:: I did, I remember that, Stormthrill.::_

Her eyes were sad, _:: But I meant for it to be that you would learn his fate so you would avoid a similar one. I'm afraid you took my meaning differently.::_

I felt my heart sink. Even my best supporter really had not been on my side.

_Oh, Hiccup. Now I am beginning to understand how lonely you are._

My thought voice began to weaken a bit as my thoughts started to scatter in shock.

_::So, everything I was transferring... all that data... Oh, gosh... all that d-data my dad was transferring, and his predecessor? Were did it go once I transmitted it on to you?::_

Thundershadow- the Sheep Island Signaler replied in his blunt way _::Nowhere, for the moment. It is information to be collected and observed. Eventually there will be one of our People who will need to know it, and we will transmit it on.::_

I remembered my human explaining about a human concept that I had actually found wondrous, but in this case it seemed almost obscene. I shot my teeth out _::So, basically I was compiling information just to put in a... a LIBRARY? Just to sit there and collect dust when we could be using it to- to::_

:_:There you go! You're showing your true colors right here!::_

The Sheep Island Signaler leaped at me, driving me back. I snarled and lashed back out him. I don't like being threatened this way. He crashed into my shoulder, his claw ripping down it. It was a sharp pain indeed.

A plasma bolt made us both stop and look up.

_::Stop it, both of you! This is why we came here this dawn. Your behavior is driving a wedge between us, Stormthrill.::_The elder's voice was heavy with sorrow.

I felt blood beginning to run down my shoulder from the rather sizable wounds, but I chose to ignore it _::We can't afford to sit back and watch, Ma'am. The world I was seeing when I flew here shows me that. Firemakers are beginning to hate our kind everywhere. It's like a disease. The further west I flew, the more I saw it. It's here that it's the strongest.::_ I shuddered a bit _::That means it's spreading out from here. If we, the North Atlantic Signalers don't take steps to stop it, it WILL spread. I can see that. Firemakers are dangerous and clever. They wlll destroy all our People if they see us a threat. If you choose to do nothing, then you will be Signalers for no one.::_

I dropped my head and glared at them all_ ::And then the Firemakers will come for you, too.::_

Now there was roaring across the canyon as Lightning People reacted to my accusation

The sound caused a covey of Arctic grouse to explode from the brush behind me, startling me. It took me off of guard.

I was slammed to the ground again, knocked flat by Thundershadow. I felt my breath rush out of my lungs and looked into his eyes. I refused to show terror, but I was horrified. I had never thought I'd see the day when a Lightning Person would pin another Lightning Person to the ground like this.

I was pretty sure he would not take pity me on I as I had done on Hiccup.

And he didn't.

He turned over his shoulder to look at the Elder _::He's down. It's now or never.::_

I struggled a bit again and got another blow across my face. That stunned me, and I lay under Thundershadow's claw, my head ringing. Bright blood from the deep clawmark gashes in my shoulder dripped into the colorful leaves I was lying on.

I felt my head drop further back. Taking it as a threat, my tormentor gave me another blow, this one catching me on my left eye ridge.

Thundershadow kept a paw on my throat, choking my breath just enough so I could not fight back. I could also feel my left eye starting to swell and shut from the blow, half blinding me.

As an extra added treat, Thundershadow used two more of his paws to pin my wings down, punching tiny cuts into them. It would not impair my flying, but the pain on my sensitive wing membranes was excruciating. I found myself biting my tongue to keep from screaming.

Thundershadow's behavior was so unlike Lightning People's should be. You don't torment someone you've downed. That makes you like a Firemaker.

_ F-firemaker... ugh... gods this hurts. This is what Hiccup faces on a regular basis. Daily. And he still has a kind heart inside of him. If I get out of this alive, I swear I will do all possible to protect him from this Firemaker bullying. _

_:: Oh, Stormthrill. I'm sorry, but we have to do this. Otherwise, your actions are going to destroy us.:: _The Elder thought sent to me.

And now I realized why they had all appeared to me today. The Lightning People follow this rule very strictly (oh, we love rules, we do!). To make a life binding judgment, you must have a council of at least four. And we had that this dawn.

It takes a certain amount of mind energy to seal off a Person's connection with the Lightning People.

It did not hurt as much as I thought it would. There was a pressure against my sensors and Mind stone. And a sharp pain, but no more than if I had stepped on a pointy rock.

And then it was over. Thundershadow released me, and I stumbled to my feet. At first I was dizzy and toppled to my side.

_::That's another reason why you're not one of us, any more. A Signaler cannot be a cripple!::_

The Elder roared, _::Thundershadow! That is enough! One more time and I WILL have you recalled!::_

I stumbled onto my feet and watched them move away from me. I was now bleeding, dizzy, humiliated, half blinded, mud spattered, crippled... the most pathetic Lightning Person ever.

_::Well, he is. What kind of Signaler doesn't fly?::_

_::He's not a Signaler anymore:: _The Hilt Islands Signaler said with a tired voice. I got the sense this had not been easy for him emotionally._ ::He's an outlaw. If we ever see him near our Signal Stones again, we are obligated to kill him::_

_::So, run, renegade:: _Thundershadow said,_ ::And hope we never cross paths again.::_

I felt like my insides were made of ashes and I was wobbling on my feet in weakness, but there was no way I could take that.

_::Excuse me? I think you're the ones in my canyon! You're intruding in on MY territory! Why don't YOU run?:: _I sat back on my hindquarters and made a shooing gesture with my front claws, sweeping them out before me, _::Go on. Git! Move it! I don't want to see you again or I'll have to kill you! I banish you all from my canyon!_

That took them all by surprise. I was actually impressed with myself. They turned to fly to the edge of the canyon and perch there, orienting themselves to fly back to each of their Signal Stones.

_::Run, sir::_ I thought sent to Thundershadow with dignity_ ::And hope we never cross paths again!::_

He snorted disdainfully at me and launched himself skyward. The others followed, leaving just the Elder and I. She looked back at me with a sad smile, and I saw dragon tears in her eyes.

_:: I wish it had turned out differently, Stormthrill.::_

She launched herself up and followed the others.

_:: Actually, ma'am, my name is Toothless.::_

I kept my composure until I was sure they were gone. Then I let myself drop to my stomach and absorb in what had just happened. I had gone far beyond the point of any emotion by this point. I just wanted to curl up and forget about the world.

Being exiled among our people is not physical exile. We are solitary creatures already, but what keeps us able to live isolated is our connection to each other. I had always been aware of the other Lightning People through my sensors. I knew they were there, they were in contact with me, and I was not truly alone.

Now, for the first time, I was. Oh, I could still talk to them in Thoughtspeech and maybe I might still be able to pick up signals from Peoples other than the Lightning People, but my connection with my own people had now just been severed.

It felt like hell. There always had been that hum at the back of my memory stone. Now, there was silence.  
And I still, honestly, don't think I did anything wrong. I was doing what I had thought to be right. I could not help but wonder my colleagues were acting very strange, very out of character. Were they also being affected by what was happening here? As the youngest of the Signalers, was I the one least susceptible?

As the morning went on, my shoulder wound stopped bleeding, but the physical complications of the Severing began to set in. When our connection is severed it's a bit like putting pressure on a vein. The blood behind the pressure point piles up. This was happening to me, but with my internal sensors. I got feverish, started shaking and moving around in dizzy circles as my sensory system went out of balance. I think I vomited a few times and, once woke up with foaming drool coming out of my jaws. How humiliating.

There was a sense of dark pressure behind my eyes, as though clouds were building up in them until I lost my eye sight completely.

I remembered stumbling into the lean-to and then flopping on my side, and then I sank into a blackness as all my senses shut down. I had not passed out, It was more like I had passed _in. _I was aware of everything and that the everything was a nothingness, something dark and freezing cold and eternally lonely.

There were a few impressions here and there. Footsteps coming through leaves. A Firemaker's roughly gentle voice, but ringing and garbled as if I were underwater. The sound and smell of a fire being lit. Pinpricks in my shoulder, smell of sweet herbs.m Something warm being put over my wings. But these were quick impressions, not enough for my pressure-swollen sensory system. They were snapped up and then I was back in the darkness.

But mostly there was nothing. If possible, the nothingness grew even more.

I wanted it to overwhelm me so I would not have to think about anything ever again.

And then, in the emptiness- a sound. A lovely, silvery thread of sound cutting through the darkness. My sensors and mind stone caught onto it like I had been trying to catch that strange light insect I had been trying to pounce on when Hiccup and I were finishing the lean-to.

But this did not run away. It let me follow it, so I did. It grew stronger, and in so doing, my sensors began to balance themselves out again.

I realized, then, it was someone- a Firemaker- singing.

Stay close to me. Don't stay back here. Let yourself go. Come forward, and stay close to me.

No, these were not the words of the song, it was a feeling I was picking up from the one who was singing.  
So I let myself go forward, willing the darkness to brighten. And I began to see colors at the edge of the darkness. Orange, yellow, red. The colors of fire. And, of course, blue. The hottest part of a flame. And then, all the colors of the rainbow.

The song took me back to my awareness, and that voice constantly urging me to stay close now. Then I felt myself shoving back against the heavy darkness.

Don't hide- push your way through.

Like the hot springs that would sometimes explode from the ground in my homeland, my sensors suddenly exploded back into balance.

Light, air, sounds, taste. smell... it was all back with me again.

Open your eyes... and see.

_Oh, thank the gods!_

I opened the lids of the one eye that was still working and let my breath rush out of my jaws.

"Hey, Toothless. There you are." I heard a hoarse, tired voice say over me, and then Hiccup went back to singing. It was some song about mugs of beer on a wall that diminish in a chronological order.

_::Hey there, Firemaker. ::_

I was on my side in the lean-to. It seemed to be late afternoon. A blanket covered my sides. I had a bandage around my shoulder, and I could smell the very herb I had shown my Firemaker for healing my People's wounds. It felt also like he had used some kind of really thin vine to stitch the wounds in my shoudlder closed.

My head was lying in Hiccup's lap, and he had been stroking it. And he had been singing to me, singing to soothe me. He'd probably been singing for several hours from the hoarseness of his voice.

And, on a minor note, he had just happened to have saved my sanity.

"What happened, buddy? Did you get in a fight with a predator?"

_::Not in a direct way. You missed a great show. But, I think I am all right now.::_

Hiccup stretched and picked up a vessel of some sort. "Are you hungry? This might help. I swiped it from the Hall on the way here"

He cupped the vessel against my mouth and tilted my head back by raising a knee since I still felt kitten-weak. Then he could pour it in gradually.

It was some sort of meat broth- lamb maybe- and it was warm from the nearby fire. It tasted wonderful. I needed that warmth inside of me.

_::Thank you, Firemaker.::_

"I was really scared there for a moment." He was staring into the forest as if looking at me would be too emotional for him, "I didn't want to lose you."

I felt a feeling of warmth and belonging inside of me. My own People had chosen to reject me, but I was not completely alone. Someone else had stepped in to fill that void.

I nudged his hand and licked it _::Hiccup, I think I finally now understand what it is like to be you. How lonely you must be. You live in your own tribe, in a way, because your people don't understand you. Well, the population of your tribe just increased to two. You don't have to face this alone. I'll fight by your side.::_

He must have picked up on my emotions, though not the words. He laughed and leaned back further, continuing to stroke my face. "Yep, we are two crazy fools, aren't we?"

Yup. And proud of it.

* * *

Just so you know... Lightning People's Signal Stone Islands are actual places. Their modern day names come from Old Norse. I translated them into English here but this where they actually are:

The Seal Islands- The Orkney Islands (now part of Scotland)  
The Isles at the Edge of the World (including Berk)- The Hebrides (now part of Scotland) I understand the word Berk is something not very nice in British English (a dumb person, I guess?) but in Norse it sounds like Birkir or Björk, both Norse for the Birch Tree, hence Birch Island  
The Sheep Islands - The Faroe Islands (now part of Denmark)  
The Land of Ice - hmmm... I had trouble with that one. Any ideas? (Just kidding)  
The Isles of the Westmen- Vestmannaeyjar (now part of Iceland)  
The Hilt Islands - The Shetland Islands (now part of Scotland)


	9. For Us, the Flying

**Chapter 9: For Us, The Flying**

_"Logic is a feeble reed, friend. 'Logic' proved that airplanes can't fly ... and that stones don't fall out of the sky. Logic is a way of saying that anything which didn't happen yesterday won't happen tomorrow."_(R. A. Heinlein, Glory Road)

_And the next chapter. Since I'm afraid of heights this might be a disadvantage, but I hope it did not come out in here._

I have to say, if there is a song I liked listening to while writing this fanfiction, especially in this part, it is "When you Come back Down" by Nickel Creek, a (believe it or not)- alternative Bluegrass Blues trio. It's a haunting song about two friends, one of whom takes it upon himself to help his friend learn to fly (learn to leave home and try a new life) even though there is risks involved and it might mean his friend eventually flies away for good because it is friend's (the "Angel" in the song) destiny to fly.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The usual Dragon and Viking ones. Also, do not attempt any of the maneuvers in this chapter unless you are under the guidance of a trained professional.

"Hey, Toothless, what are you carving into the lean-to wall with your claws? One and a half vertical lines? Oh, that's the population of Boondocks Manor. One full time resident and one part-time!"

I turned to look at my Firemaker with a solemn smile _::No. One Firemaker and one half of a dragon::_

Note that I said dragon, not Lightning Person.

I wanted nothing more to do with those beings. My family, yes, I owe it to them. But, overall, the Lightning People have let me down. Standing back when there is imminent danger is to me a greater crime than the one I ever committed. I only hoped it was because they were being affected by the evil in this region. I hated to think they deliberately choose to be so cold.

I feel no regrets for the decisions I made, at least regarding Hiccup. Even if the Signalers never planned to use the information I was collecting, it had me come to understand these Vikings more. And I gained a good friend from it.

The jury was out on the Dragon fighters. I would have to see if they were somehow tricking me into giving them the data. It is possible. If so, then I had indeed committed a grave error. I do remember the Turkmene mentioning during our journey over the steppes that her tribe's Firemakers view honesty very seriously. They worship the god of Fire (dragons, remember), so when they swear over fire, it is a very serious oath. My friend had done that.

Well, we would definitely have some serious words when we met again on the Dreampaths.

I was able to wake up and stand on my feet in the mornings now without listing to the side or falling over, as I had been doing in the week after my banishment. That was a good sign, because Hiccup and I were going to be testing the rigging tomorrow.

We had been doing short flights to get used to the system. My Firemaker had to manipulate two different gear systems, two different movements of the feet, and that takes some coordination. And I had to learn to anticipate the gear he was going to use before he did it, so my senses had to be in very good shape to catch his thoughts and the way he balanced his body.

We would be going out over the ocean, far from any sheltering land in case of an emergency- so we had to be sure what we were doing. And we were going to be flying higher than my Firemaker had ever gone before, so I would have to keep an eye on his health. I am a creature of the high mountains on the roof of the world. My Firemaker was not going to be used to being up where the air is much thinner. I would have to watch that he did not pass out.

I'll leave that to your imagination what would happen in that case, kiddies.

So tonight my Firemaker had sneaked down here to spend the night so we'd have an early start on this. There would be no training class for him, and the villagers were used to him disappearing. I figured neither of us would get much sleep tonight we were so excited.

So we ate the dinners of our respective life forms (fish for me, of course!). He ate some sort of smoked lamb and flat bread and then this strange creation of dried blueberries mixed with a cow's milk paste these Vikings call "skyr." He seemed to love it. I sniffed it and decided it went on to the list of what Toothless eats if he is absolutely facing starvation. I guess dairy products and banished Lightning People aren't destined to have a happy reunion. No loss on my part.

We were both relieved that the sky was red when the sun set, and there was no haze around the moon. Good weather for flying.

Or for crashing.

Hiccup was using the light of the lean-to's fire to check the harness, pulling at it until the leather straps sang. Everything had to be in good shape. I was a bit worried myself about the hook that had caught us up on the night I toured the village. Hiccup had fixed it, but I personally would have preferred a new hook entirely. I am a devout believer in gremlins.

The stars were out tonight, too. I tried to pick out a few that I knew. My favorite, though, is actually the gauzy blanket of thousands of stars that look as though a cloud had settled in the sky. My human said his people thought it was spilled milk.

Earlier in the evening he had mentioned about how you were supposed to wish on the first star you saw, and your wish would come true. I thought that was an incredibly eel-brained notion. How can a big ball of gas millions of miles away influence- or even care about- your personal desires? Firemakers. They have the most amazing imaginations.

My human must have thought the idea preposterous, too. He nudged me, and I rolled my eyes and looked at him.

_::Okay, whatever. Sigh. Hiccup. what would you wish on tonight?::_

"What would I wish on tonight, you asked?" My Firemaker ran the harness through his hands, looked at the saddle, checked the stirrups, looked at my wings, looked longingly at the sky above us and said with a perfectly serious look on his face, "You know, nothing comes to mind."

_::I didn't think so, either.::_

"Except, maybe, a pony."

I snorted neutrally, _::I'd wish for one of those, too. They're good eating.::_

Actually, though, all I would wish for is wings that work.

I never, ever want my Firemaker to know this, but I was scared stupid about tomorrow's flight. I had been looking so forward to it, but the banishment had taken something out of me. My coordination was off, but getting better. I still was worried I would not be able to react in time to avoid a dangerous collision.

And I just did not have the spirit I felt I had before. I kept imagining three thousand ways this flight would turn out, all involving some degree of going _splat._

Thundershadow's words had hurt me more than he would ever know. I was taking on this test flight as my way of stealing back some of that courage he stole from me.

I made this my vow, when the day after my banishment, Hiccup had called my name and I thought I had heard "Useless" instead of "Toothless." I was going to stamp that negativity out!

And, I was so scared I would do something that would hurt my human. It's funny. You would think I would be more worried about him screwing up with the flight mechanism, but I had lost a lot of faith in myself.

Plus, remember, the Hiccup I know is different from the one I understand most people know. Except for the moment we met, I had only ever known him as a competent and skilled young man who pretty much got everything he did for me right.

That's probably why he sees me as his best friend. I had no preconceived notions of him, so he could be the person he always wanted to be. I figured if the system screwed up it was because the design was not what it should be, but not because my Firemaker was a screw up.

So, yes, I was the one afraid of failing him

"Well, we'd better get some sleep or we'll never get off the ground," My Firemaker banked the fire so it would burn down slowly and keep the lean to heated through the night.

He wrapped himself in his bedroll, and I wrapped myself in my worries, and we went to sleep. My human had cleverly make chamomile tea, and convinced me to try it. It worked, and the two of us were able to drift off.

If I had any dreams, I don't remember them.

* * *

The next morning we woke to frost and a dead fire. Hiccup was blowing on his hands and stamping his feet as we ate our breakfast (fish for me- well, almost frozen fish for me, flatbread and dried fish for him).

He harnessed me up, having to stop every few moments to shake out his hands since the metal on the harness was freezing them. I realized then, why he was shaking his hands out when he slipped the harness on me.

He'd been warming the metal bits in his hands so they would not freeze me when he slipped them on.

_::Good on you, Hiccup.::_

"Next time I come out here, I have to break out the winter clothes. The snow's going to be coming probably in the next two months or so and then this place will be under white for a while. If this works out, though, it should hopefully not keep us from flying."

My Firemaker clipped the rope we used on the Launching Stone to my harness. We waited apprehensively until the sun broke over the canyon walls, flooding the area with light and warmth. We wanted the air to be a bit warmer before we took off.

My human had draped a blanket around himself. He leaned against my side and crossed his arms, looking up, breath pluming from his nose. He stamped his feet, putting me in mind of an irritated horse. So I snorted, sending out a feathery blanket of steamed breath, and made a purring sound like the whinnying of a horse.

He laughed at me and scratched my neck, "Good boy, Old Paint."

It probably was no more than twenty minutes, but it seemed like an eternity when my human nodded his head at me and dropped the blanket.

It was go time.

I sucked in my breath as he pulled in the saddle straps extra tight- we could not afford to have the saddle slip loose a half mile in the sky.

My heart slammed against my rib cage, and I heard Hiccup's breathing get faster.

_::Fair winds and fly well::_I told Hiccup, and I so wished he understood the significance of that blessing among all the People.

He swung up on me, and I realized from this point, I would no longer be able to see him. I'd have to rely on his thoughts and movements and the shift of the gears.

We took off for our landing rock. Once on the stone, he attached the rope, and we quickly ran through all the tail fin positions to make sure all was well.

Then Hiccup whispered, counting backwards from five.

On _"Einn"_he unclipped the rope, and I was free.

I let the wind push me up from the rock and over the beach, our last tie with any sort of landing strip (other than the unkind ocean). The wind blasted needles of fresh air along my belly and flanks, rippling up my owner's tunic and sleeves (I could hear the fabric snapping- I even it heard it stream through his hair)

I was terrified.

_Oh, I don't want to do anything to kill you! _

But for his sake, I put on a calm demeanor and stared out over the sea. I had made a promise. We were a team, now. If he was going to take this risk, then I wanted to be there with him all the way...

...As we fall, screaming into the ocean.

_Toothless- please! Get ahold of yourself! He's counting on you._

Cripple. Cripple. Cripple. Cripple.

A gentle hand rubbed my neck, reassuring me and breaking my chain of thought.

"Okay, buddy. Let's take it nice and slow." Hiccup's voice was breathless, nervous as I was, but he was brave enough to face it. How could I let him down?

I purred gently at him and thought sent _::Over to you, Firemaker. It's all you, now::_

I heard him running a finger don the vellum tail fin chart that was clipped to my saddle.

"Here we go.. three. No four." The left pedal shifted, a gear clicked in place and I felt the nudge from his mind to move forward.

I plunged my wings down and stepped into infinity, flying towards the west. The wind washed over us both, bathing us in its sweet, sea scented smell. It seemed like it was caressing me.

Welcome home, old friend.

I felt my heart start to slow down, and my mind stone and sensors thrum in joy. How could I have been afraid to experience this?

We were floating, no flying. The system was working so far. I turned towards the right so we were facing the sea stacks that bordered Birch Island. Below us the sea roiled in a deep blue-grey color, whitecaps appearing as tiny lace designs on the surface.

_:::It's working so far. Gears're shifting tight:::_I picked that up from Hiccup.

Then I heard him whisper, "Alright. It's go time. It's go time." (Or it might have been "Let's go tight" I just know it was not "It's Goat Time!")

He shifted his weight forward and stood in the pedals, and I knew we were going to start testing the system by diving to the sea stacks. Several of them had water carved keyholes in them where we would try out twisting and turning.

I set my wings into a dive and swooped smoothly down towards the ocean floor. The wind slid by my sides, humming against my sensors, and I felt that spooky wonderful thrill that comes from plunging down fast. I found myself roaring in delight.

"C'mon buddy! C'mon buddy!" (Firemakers can roar, too.)

At the surface of the sea, we straightened out, skimming it. My still unbalanced sensor caused me to roll for a second to the left, and my wing hit the water.

I heard a click, and I straightened out again. I opened my eyes wide and thanked the Firemaker with all my heart.

_::My wings are in your hands- er- feet, buddy. I trust you.:: _

Then we were soaring through one of the mossy, rhyolite sea stacks, disrupting a flock of gannets. Their mournful cries echoed down to us. Both of us looked up, and I picked up from Hiccup that he was both terrified and awed by the moment.

_That makes two of us._

We shot through the archway and soared upwards again.

"Yes! It works!"

This time Hiccup was slow to react, and when I keeled too far to the left, I wound up slamming against the edge of a stack, right on my bandaged shoulder. I snarled.

"Sorry!"

But then Hiccup overcompensated and had me fall the other way, so I fetched sharply against the matching set sea stack.

"That's my fault. "

It seems I am an equal opportunity crasher. But I'd rather not crash into anything at all.

Irritated (but mostly scared), I smacked Hiccup with one of my ear sensors _::Be careful, all right? ::_

"Yeah, yeah I'm on it!" his irritated (but mostly scared) wind-torn voice floated down to me.

He did get things back in working order... "Position four... no.. three"

Another click and we were soaring straight and clear from the sea stacks. My Firemaker tried out the ascenders, leaning low over my neck. It cleared space for my wings to plunge down, giving us the power to climb higher into the sky. I tilted one of my sensors towards Hiccup's chest, monitoring his breath and heart rate as we plunged higher. I could feel the air getting thinner and colder.

The wind was a dragon kitten, now, playing with us. It danced around me as I pushed my body upwards, and it was a delight. I even wound up spinning gently as we pumped out way upwards. I stuck my tongue out like a kitten and tasted the salt, seaweed, clouds, even some extremely high floating pollen.

At this altitude the steam was coming out of our nostrils, but we were both too excited to notice.  
I roared in joy at being back in my true home.

"Yeah!" my Firemaker whooped in joy, "Go, baby!"

Hiccup was blown away by the sensations. I heard him laughing and yelling, "Yes, oh this is amazing…. "  
Other things were blown away by the sensations, too.

"….the wind blowing through my... CHEATSHEET!"

I saw the vellum chart fly by my face and upwards. My weight shifted as my rider leaned up to catch the chart.

"STOP!"

I tried to stop. But the only thing that stopped was my heart as I heard a metallic snap, and I saw Hiccup soar up over my head.

We both screamed as the realization hit us.

_Oh no! I knew it! It's that scorched clip!_

I felt gravity pull me backwards, and I roared in terror as my heavier weight sent me plummeting past Hiccup. Both of us were screaming to our chosen deities as the sea stacks and, just beyond that, island coastline with bristly treetops rushed towards us.

_::What now?::_I screamed.

All my fears were coming true. My body was spinning sickeningly, but I tried to push my wings (screaming in pain against the wind blasts), forcing my body into position under Hiccup.

He had the same idea. I think I heard him yelling "Alright, buddy, you gotta angle yourself- position yourself towards me!"

I used every Target Practice skill I had, using my own body as the plasma blast, but it was hard, and I wound up overshooting it, hurtling up over him for a moment.

"No! Come back down! This way!"

_::I'm trying! Hang in there!:: _Stupid advice on my part, considering the circumstances.

One of my wings clipped Hiccup and sent him spinning. My stomach roiled in terror, sickened by what would happen if my unintentional flailing slammed my best friend into the side of a sea stack.

_Oh please let it work for us!_

I gritted my teeth, shoved my wings back as hard as I could so that I dropped raggedly under Hiccup. It was all up to him now, but I was wishing with all my heart my wings would grow a pair of hands so he could grasp them.

I did not realize I had been holding my breath until I felt a pull on my back and the sound of now broken fingernails digging into my harness straps. A click as the clips connected, and then an awkward thud as Hiccup slammed back into the saddle.

We'd passed over the sea stacks and were crashing towards the forest treetops.

I screamed in frustration and felt the weight of my rider standing in the pedals. (I will not say what I screamed, but it was quite colorful.)

Something clicked and he threw his body backwards, pulling my shoulders back with the weight of his hands on the harness handle and wrist straps. I also fanned my wings back and braced my body.

Together we threw our weight back into creating enough drag to assist my tail in turning us up out of the dive.

We just missed the trees in time, zinging over them. Branches snapped against my claws and I picked the scents of pine and birch sap. My wings dripped with cloud contrails.

And we were spinning right towards a different set of sea stacks, this one a network of caverns and keyholes!

I knew how long it was taking Hiccup to shift the gears, and I was terrified we were not going to go very gently into that good night.

Something flared up in me- a call to fight this with all my heart. I flattened back one of my sensors so it lay against one of Hiccup's hands, and I thought sent as loud as I could:

_::TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS::_

And, for the first time, he heard me!

I mentally sent direction to him and he shifted the right gear so we plunged into a keyhole. We twisted through it quickly, so fast I could hear the ratcheting sound of the wind from my wings against the rock.  
Then we were sailing towards the next keyhole. Like a team we moved exactly together- I signaled the direction and he shifted into gear. It happened so quickly one after the other that it was almost as if we knew what each other was going to do.

Hey, that's exactly what it was!

We blasted through the sea stack network, spinning, bending, and swooshing. I think my Rider was sitting up in the saddle, balancing himself on the pedals taking his weight off my back as I had taught him, and leaning beautifully into the turns.

I could not have told you our exact path, but we did it together!

I smelled the sharp scent of Firemaker fear sweat from my rider as we cleared the sea stacks, but my rider was overjoyed. Far behind us, spinning in the wind, was the vellum cheat sheet that my Rider had tossed away.

Yes, I realize now that I had a Rider on my back.

We sailed upwards, both of us exhilarated. My Rider was still standing in the pedals, judging from the weight on my back.

I heard him yell, "Yes! All right!"

I was so overjoyed that I shot a plasma bolt in joy to celebrate. It drifted out above me in a gorgeous display of violet and indigo.

Oops... I forgot that I had a passenger.

"AW, COME ON!"

_::Sorry::_

* * *

I was glad he did not have flexible ear sensors to smack me.

After the mandatory break to put out the fires on Hiccup's clothes and my harness, the rest of the day was a delight. The sky had warmed up, and we now spent the day soaring around the archipelago, trying out new maneuvers. We dove, spun, shot off from a standstill and enjoyed every moment of it.  
Overall was that amazing feeling that, when Hiccup was on my back, we could communicate so well as Rider and Person. No, we were not having conversations about physics, but we just seemed to know each other's feelings and what directions we wanted to go.

We were a real team.

Towards late afternoon, we both got inventive. We found a fairly serviceable fishing net that was drifting in the sea. I swept down and scooped it up with my claws. My Rider hung over my side to grab it, and I saw him for the first time since he came on board (with the exception of our Adventures in Gravity free fall).

I barked a laugh at him. His clothes, face and hands were stained with smoke from my plasma blast. Tears from the wind had cut tracks down his face, giving him a comical look. Plus he was still blinking his eyes to clear out the last effects of the explosion. His reddish (now pretty much black) hair had been completely flattened back from his head by the wind. He looked like a teenage troll who had climbed out of a volcanic crater.

"Don't laugh, Toothless. You look pretty silly, too!"

_Oh._I glanced down at myself and saw my harness was smudged and blackened, and my blue black hide was now stained with dull patches of black dust. Back in my Lightning Person days I had always came back from our raids on the Birch Islands filthy so I was used to it. For the first time I realized I looked like I had picked up some weird skin infection.

"And you have bugs all over your face!" My Rider was laughing in hysterical joy.

_::That's one of the trade offs to be able to fly::_ I sent back to him _::I'm used to it. Also- extra protein never hurts:: _I licked my lips. He picked up from my gestures the meaning and had to slump over my neck he was laughing so hard.

In truth, though, I had never flown this fast, high or wild in my life, so I did have quite the collection of flies, moths and gnats on my front half. It was totally worth it.

Using my harness and my claws, we dragged the net through the water as I skimmed over head. It took a few tries, but the Birch Island's first aerial fishermen brought their catch to shore.

The closest island had a rocky beach where stones had been split and cracked by sea and wind. It seemed as good a place as any.

While I shook the fish out of the net, my Firemaker gathered driftwood and dried seaweed to lay a fire. As he laid three pieces of large wood in a triangle around the smaller fuel, I nudged him out of the way.

_::Allow me, sir::_

I shot out a little blast, and the fire flashed into life.

We settled down to rest and eat our dinner. I was sitting in the position that Hiccup calls a dragon loaf, where my legs are curled under me and I curl my tail around myself. I had a whole pile of flounder and cod with my name on it, and I needed it. I was starving! Hiccup leaned against me, one leg stretched out, the other drawn to his chest. He was roasting a flatfish over the fire.

We both stared at the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. There was not much to say- words would not really be able to describe it.

I had already eaten a few fish, and Hiccup was still roasting his first one. He must have been as hungry as I, so I said a quick grace to the gods and performed the Gagging of Gratitude.

Hiccup looked down at the fish head I had thrown up.

"No thanks, buddy. I'm good."

I had just closed my eyelids when I heard the noise of doom.

_::Oh, frozen hells. Here comes trouble.::_

A flock of Sticky Fire people had smelled my fish and was hovering in over the island.  
_::And this was such a nice island too!:: _I snarled and pulled the fish in towards me.

Hiccup came up to a squatting position, ready to jump to his feet, a worried look in his eyes. Sticky Fire people are merely annoying on a one to one basis. When you get a herd of them together, you find yourself wishing for a nice friendly swarm of killer bees instead.

_::Relax:: _I thought-sent back _::I've got this covered.::_

There were three or four of them, if I remember, displaying a sample of the many exciting colors that one can enjoy in the modern day Sticky Fire Person: Red, green, gold. No midnight blue color, though. Poor fashion deprived Sticky Ones.

They came down full of spitfire and fermented apple juice in their attitude.

_::Hey, look, amigos! I did not know this island had a garbage dump! This is where they dump the used People when their fire runs out. ::_

_::Oh yeah, and check it out- mutant trolls!::_

_::Greetings, largish black and blue Person:: _Another called.

Wow- this flock had come a long way...judging from the patterns of their thought speech the Iberian peninsula. I love the thought patterns the People in that area use. So musical. If I ever met a Lightning Person lady from that part of the world, I would be a very happy...

...uh, scratch that. I am not a Lightning Person anymore.

Anyway, I was worried these little guys were wanting to bully my Rider, and I was not going to put up with that.

So I snarled at them _::Back off, little brothers. You're not wanted here::_

:_:Oh, someone's not bein' very friendly, now is he? Are you going to give us some of that fish?::_

_::It's mine. And so is the Firemaker.::_

Two of the Sticky Fire People started fighting over the fish head I had regurgitated. They were welcome to it.

_::My precious:: ,_one of them hissed while the other one bounced up and down and snarled threateningly.

Hiccup had a serious face, but I could sense he was trying hard not to laugh deep inside.

I guess the Sticky Fire People can be cute in an irritating, painful, flaming, burning to a crisp in agony sort of way.

Suddenly a fish in my pile came to life, sauntering away.

Sneaky!

_::That's mine!::_I snapped out and grabbed it from the Sticky Fire Person who had gotten past my sensors.

He kept his grip on it, so we each had one end.

He blustered _::Hey! Looks like it's mine now, brother. Finders, keepers, losers...::_

I snapped the fish harder and started pulling. We had a bit of a tug of war. The outcome was never in doubt, but the Sticky Fire person actually thought he'd win this one.

He snarled at me as I swallowed the fish.

I laughed back at him. _::I'm sorry, you were saying...?::_

:_:You're gonna regret you ever did that, you mangy bully!::_

_::I know you are, but what am I?::_

The Sticky Fire person started pawing the ground and growling, building up the propane fire blast that would knock me into the next continent.

I cringed in sheer terror and began shaking.

He fell for it and opened his mouth to incinerate me.

Now with a totally bored expression on my face, I spat a tiny burst of blue plasma that pinged into the little Person's open mouth.

The results were hilarious. He puffed up as the flame burst inside of him, and it knocked him off of balance. He staggered around a little. I did not feel sorry for him. I snickered to myself as I went back to eating my fish.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hiccup pick up a piece of one of the fish.

"Not so fire proof on the inside are ya?" he called to the Sticky Fire person, tossing the fish to him.

The little Person swallowed it and then approached Hiccup who held out his soot stained hand. The Sticky Fire Person sniffed it and then rubbed his head against the hand.

_::You're nice, not like that mean Lightning Person. I like you.::_

I snarled softly _::I am not a Lightning Person.::_

One of the Sticky Fire People who was working on the vomited fish head looked up at me _::You sure look like one to me. What, do you think you are an alligator or something?::_

Hiccup's wonderful new friend (believe me, I was not buying the cuteness act- it was all about fish) curled up by my Firemaker's side and started purring. Enchanted, Hiccup started petting the Sticky Fire Person.

"Everything we know about you guys is wrong." my Rider said softly and with wonder.

I rolled my eyes and went back to eating.

Several little voices sang out to me _::Somebody's jealous.::_

_::Yeh, you even have green eyes::_

_::Get your own Rider, ::_I snorted with ill grace,_ ::Though you'll have to go the Land of Faerie to get one in your size!::_

* * *

_"My greatest fear will be that you will crash and burn__  
And I won't feel your fire  
__I'll be the other hand that always holds the line  
__Connectin' in between your sweet heart and mine__  
I'm strung out on that wire...  
When you're soarin' through the air  
I'll be your solid ground  
Take every chance you dare  
I'll still be there,when you come back down" -_ Nickel Creek," When you Come back Down Again"


	10. Time Enough to Touch the Stars

**Chapter 10: Time Enough to Touch the Stars **

**Disclaimers:** The usual ones apply. Also, there is no guarantee that taking a girl for a ride on a dragon will win you her heart. Results may not be typical.

_"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."_- R.A. Heinlein (The Notebooks of Lazarus Long)

* * *

Okay, I will admit Hiccup's words to the Sticky Fire Person were actually more earth shattering than I let on. He was realizing the truth about my People: we are not killers. Our natural state of being is playful, protective, kind, and eternally curious about the world. We do not hoard gold, as Firemakers think, but rather we delight in collecting experiences and memories. We are good friends to have at your side, especially if you have fish.

I now had a fully trained Firemaker, one who had as keen as interest as I in solving this problem.

Now I had to figure out how to get us both onto cracking this problem. Obviously, there was going to be no one else who wanted to help us. It's just us two: an outlawed Person from the remote ends of Asia, and a misfit barbarian from the remote ends of Europe. The childhood prodigy and the freak show attraction.

The sun was pretty much a memory in the sky when my Firemaker made his way home. He first had to pause at Boondocks Manor (he'd stashed some soap there) to wash the sooty residue from his face and hands. He had to scrub his hair out at least three times before it washed back to his normal color and didn't crackle around his hands from the sticky residue of the explosion. His clothes were a lost cause- he'd have to launder those out later when he could get proper hot water.

Me? I just walked into the lake, rolled a few times, and my hide was back to its original sleek near-black color. Is there nothing as well designed as one of the People?

My Firemaker looked up me, soap running in his eyes from his latest attempt to get his hair to stop standing up, and kicked a friendly blast of water at me.

That night, I got my opportunity to enjoy some delicious, well served revenge. I had been trying to figure out how to deal with the Sarmatians, and I'd tried to catch them on the Dreampaths.

Seems like things were busy in the flat lands, and my so called friends were not getting much sleep because I did not hook up with them.

But, tonight, we had an ever friendly reunion which started, quite appropriately, with me doing a cordial dive-bomb attack.

As soon as I realized they were in contact with me and our spirit forms (or whatever mumbo jumbo it is) were in place, I flung myself in the air and dive bombed onto the Turkmene's back, blasting a plasma bolt.

Oddly, my plasma bolt did not shoot out (_huh, maybe they don't work in your dreams_), but I still brought the Turkmene down hard enough that, if this were reality, I would have broken her back. Her saddle might also have protected her, as it took most of the blow.

Her Rider (sleeping near her) rolled out of the way as she rolled onto her back, swung up to her feet and glared daggers at me. When I swooped back at her on a second dive bomb attempt, she met me, rearing up and thudding her iron hard hooves on a side blow on my chest.

She was trying to knock me off of balance, not attack me, and it worked. I was probably heavier than she, but she hit me at just the right angle, so I was spun off of my flight plan.

I had to land and went into defensive mode, growling at her, my teeth exposed to their longest.

The Turkmene mare just stared at me, ears back in warning, but not in aggression.

Her Rider was by her side suddenly, a very nasty looking knife out in his hands, and a supporting hand on her shoulder. He looked at the Turkmene and then at me with those oddly focused eyes.

Then he threw the knife so it landed at my feet. He dropped to his knees and spread his hands out, exposing his neck and chest and stomach.

The Turkmene just looked at me calmly, not making any move of aggression. Her head was up, casually exposing her throat in case I might just want to tear it out for some fun and entertainment.

_::Drama, drama::_ I thought-sent sarcastically. _::By the way, if you say anything along the lines of 'Do What You Will', I am so going to attack you.::._

_::It is really up to you what you want to do next::_ she finally sent, cautiously, _::We'd both totally understand it..::_

I gnashed my teeth and blew out an angry blast of air _(no plasma- strange). ::Can't you barbarians ever be original?::_

_::Come on, dragon. Can't you accept a gesture as genuine without making it into some opportunity for a snide remark?::_

I lowered my head threateningly. _::All right. I'll change the subject. If I kill you in the Dreampaths, what happens in reality?::_

_::Look at this way, Toothless. You have the perfect chance to try. We're not going to stop you.::_

"Can you make up your mind, friend?" Gatalas asked, "I feel very silly in this position, but I won't leave until you get your vengeance. 'kay?"

I found myself sitting back on my haunches and shaking my head in confusion, _::You two are the weirdest thing to ever have fallen in my life.::_

_::C'mon. We're waiting. You want to punish us, and we totally would feel the same way. We did not realize one of your Signalers would intercept us, and we were trying to help. And we did not realize they would exile you for us getting involved._

_::So our actions led to you being the one to get hurt for our error. That is cowardly. We have wronged you and not faced the punishment in your place, and my Rider's honor is at stake. You basically have to strike us down now, now, punish us for our mis-deeds. Otherwise, we'll have to commit suicide to keep Gatalas' family name good.::_

_::You Sarmatians are insane.:: _I snorted, but I was touched at their almost innocent (if overdramatic) sense of justice.

_::Get on with it. You probably have a busy day tomorrow working on that dragon attack problem:: _The Turkmene said, _:: Strike us down, and then you can go to bed and put this all behind you.::_

_::But I … but I?:: (Damn… you're not making it as fun for me as I had hoped.)_

"Get on with it! Please!" Gatalas was getting irritated, "Either you strike us down, or I use that knife and finish the job on my friend and I."

Just to test things, I strode right up to Gatalas. The Turkmene did not move, just looked at me calmly.

I snorted at Gatalas until his loose blond hair shook.

He just waited calmly.

They really wanted me to do this, really wanted me to kill them to save their honor… or they'd commit suicide? Mad creatures, indeed.

And I found myself not as willing to destroy them as I had hoped.

I thought of my Rider and wondered how he, who sees things in a weird way, would puzzle this one out.

Then I knew. I made sure my teeth were fully shot out, growled and then brought my face to the Sarmatian Firemaker's.

Then I nudged him really hard, like dragon kittens do to each other (and we can get rough in our games), sending him toppling onto his side. I pulled my teeth back in my head, bunted him on the shoulder and licked his face.

_::There you go. I struck you down. So, now we're even and your honor is restored.::_

It was a truly emotional moment for the dragon fighters, and they both lowered their heads and started trembling with shuddering, great sobbing breaths.

They were laughing hysterically.

"That was BRILLIANT!" Gatalas called out, getting to his feet, "You amaze me, dragon!"

_::It's not worth holding a grudge in the end::_ I told them, knowing only the Turkmene would understand me, _::It doesn't solve the problem.. I just want to get things over and move on.::_

The Turkmene trotted up behind me and snorted softly, raising her head. I realized that my head now came up over hers, and she was tall for a horse. I lowered my head and bunted her forehead.

She whickered back._ ::If only more of us realized that, more problems would get solved. And, it's a good thing you didn't kill us, Toothless. We have some answers for you.::_

Oh, and did they! I had hoped Gatalas would sketch out a plan for me, as Hiccup would have, but he would not. He just smiled and shook his head, staring at me with those oddly focused silver blue eyes. I put that off to his people being illiterate.

Instead we did a reverse of what we had done before, but now I pulled the data from the Turkmene.

Ah, I see the difference now. The priests (or whoever had read the data) had isolated the blank area with a different border. I sure had no idea what that meant.

_::The elders here think it's a gap- a kind of a pocket that has been sealed off so most creatures cannot perceive it. These are like mini alternate realities, but they fit snugly into the existing one.::_

I shook my head _::Sounds stupid to me, sorry.::_

_::But they do exist. Haven't you heard of creatures who suddenly disappear into thin air? The Firemakers of many cultures have tales of discovering wild Firemakers who walk in from the woods, beings who they find who have no ability to understand Firemaker behavior. They attribute to being raised by wild animals, but what if that human had stepped through another reality?::_

I listened, but with my teeth half in and half out- confused.

_::Or how do you explain when stones fall out of the sky on a clear day? Or you see life forms in a place where they should not be, like frogs in a barren desert? Or have you ever gone through an area and it was suddenly, for a moment, a different temperature than usual… but only for a moment?::_

I gestured with my muzzle _::Yes, but that could be wind currents::_

_::True. Except for when it isn't.::_

I scratched a few senesless lines in to the dream dirt with my claws_ :: So you are telling me this threat is hidden in some sort of magical pocket?::_

_::Not magical… temporal. A kind of a bend in reality. Just stay with us here, Toothless, even if it seems strange. These places exist, and you're going to need a Firemaker to help you find it. They usually are the ones who do find them. You know already they can make leaps in judgment that you and I cannot. ::_

I could vouch for that. There are many who say the Lightning People are among the smartest of the People, but even their intelligence comes from memories we pass on from one to another. The Firemakers differ because they can take information and then use it to jump forward to a new idea. Oh, boy, do I know that!

That, and not their hands, is what makes them so dangerous.

"The best way to identify a Gap like this is place names," Gatalas said. He had now placed himself in that painful twisted leg contortion Firemakers seem to love, "Can you remember from your Rider's people any unusual place names? Usually a Firemaker stumbles on one of these gaps and gives it a name, a way to warn others to stay away from the area. Over time, people pass on the name from one generation to the other. Eventually only the name remains, but not the reason why it was named."

He ran a hand through his tangled hair, and I saw from his face how tired he was. He'd picked up rather nasty burns from a recent fight against dragons.

"Look for clues like 'Underhill,' or 'Well' or 'Anchor' or 'Gate' or 'Cave' or…"

I smacked my tail against the ground in surprise, _::Hellheimarshlið- Hellheimsgate! That's it! And my Firemaker just mentioned that region having the name because the fog and the rocks are so dangerous::_

_::There you go, then. It's as good a clue as any.::_

_::So, I take my Firemaker, we go to Hellheimsgate and then, because he's on my back, we'll discover the way into this portal and….::_

Both my friends shrugged a bit.

_::Almost::_ The Turkmene said, ears half cocked, _::You need two Firemakers.::_

"Y'see, my friend here and I ", Gatalas pat his horse on her shoulder, "We discovered a small portal just before we met you. Nothing big, but strong enough for the priests to seal it off. Some hay brained idiot had forgotten to secure the rope holding our sheep flocks in when we were doing the spring shearing, so the flock had gotten loose. Many of us wandered the area, but we could not find the sheep. My little sister, Darya, asked to join in- she has keen eyes. She has not yet bonded with a horse, so she rode behind me on Horsebutt here. Her highness, of course, was not too keen on carrying two people"

_::Have some respect. I was the one carrying you, and you _had _put on weight.::_

"Anyway, when Darya came with us, riding behind me, her arms around my waist, suddenly we walked right into a valley I swear was not there before… and there were the sheep. Oddest of all, it was raining, but when we walked into the valley, the sun was out."

I listened to this, not sure whether to be impressed or to laugh at their wonderful imagination.

_::So, basically, what we think, is you need to have two Firemakers who are related to one another go with you to this area- the Hellheimsgate. So, if your Hiccup can bring along a parent or a sibling, then you'll slip through and discover what it is that has been influencing your People to attack.::_

I considered my Rider and the loving respect his father had for him. I thought about his cousin, the ever so jealous Snoutlout who was contantly beating him up. I considered the possibilities of how this would work. And I showed the proper reaction.

The Turkmene and Gatalas gasped in surprise.

_:: Ah, Toothless… why did you suddenly flop on your back with your tongue out like you´re dead?::_

It's hard to thought-send in this position:

_::Dat duh duh..., becauth we ah phetty muth dead::_

_

* * *

_I think that was the moment I began to see the world my Rider and I had been putting together was starting to crack around the edges. I'd already suffered the consequences of my choices. Now, things were beginning to run into each other for him and, honestly, given the destructive nature of Firemakers, the consequences were potentially far worse than what I had endured.

He came early in the morning, so I knew that there would be training later in the day.

Actually, no. Not training. It was the final class, the one that would determine who was the star pupil at slaughtering my People. _Oh, rapturous joy._

He, bless his screwed-up soul, felt the same way.

He had not gotten much sleep, and his eyes were sunk in dark shadows. They had faded to a pale gray-blue, a color I had come to realize meant he was stressed out. Given his usual goofy-happy nature around me, he was very solemn, like a dark cloud had settled on his shoulders. I had an inkling this was the Hiccup that everyone else but me sees.

But he was his usual kind self as he put out fish for me to eat and then unwrapped my bandage. I drew in my breath (and my teeth) as he ever-so-gently clipped the stitches from my shoulder.

"Looks like it's healed up and won't leave much of a scar, Toothless, even if I ran ya into the rocks."

I snorted in a friendly way at him. It was worth it to experience the joy of flight we had gotten out of yesterday's test run.

"Anyway, sorry if I am not all sweetness and light here, but my Dad came back last night. We have the last day of the class today, and he'll be watching me."

His dad is back? Well, it's a long shot, but let's give it a try!

I purred at Hiccup and danced a bit around him playfully _::Here is an idea, Rider! Why don't you, me and your father have a day out together! We'll go out into the country, have a picnic lunch, do some fishing, do some male bonding and discover a secret portal!_

_:: Of course, we'll also have to knock out your father first and tie him to my saddle, but that's a minor complication. It kind of prevents him from killing me on sight. :: _

I did not do well on the explanation. Hiccup's eyes were almost crossed as he tried to figure what I was getting at from gestures. Oh, there are times I wish I could speak like a human!

"Okay, buddy, I really wish I could get what you're telling me. You want to knock something out… oh, you're wishing me well in the arena… to knock myself out! You're the best, Toothless!"

He hugged me, and I purred and thrummed and put my wings around him. My silly friend, you want to see the best in everything.

He eventually pushed my wings away and gave me a brotherly pat on the nose.

"I wish it had gone better between my Dad and me. He seems to think I am a great dragon slayer, and I don't know how to tell him it's because I DON'T want to slay dragons. He's going to see everything I've done in the training class as a trick. And I didn't intend that. But if I don't tell him, then he'll feel I've been lying to the tribe- deceiving everyone!" He swept an uneven strand of hair out of his eyes, "So, basically, it's now between me and Ástríður... one of us will win."

_::How is that a problem?_:: I asked, _::I grew up with three sisters. The answer is simple. Let her win. Problems solved. Then you, your unconscious Dad and I can look for the portal.::_

I don't know how much he picked up from me on that, but I for sure picked up he and his father were no closer to each other than before… maybe their relationship was even worse because his father was assuming things that were not true. And Hiccup was scared to tell the truth, mostly to protect me, partly because he was enjoying the new found respect from his peers.

Hiccup crouched next to me and scratched me under the chin, "I just have to ask a big favor for you, buddy. Can I put the saddle and harness on you now and have you wear it for today? I honestly don't know how this will turn out, but there is a chance we'll have to leave this canyon. And in a hurry. I have to be ready to jump on your back and throw some supplies on the saddle hooks and have us get out of here fast!"

It was the sincerity of this words that moved me. He loved this island. He would not willingly leave it, but he anticipated something horrible could happen, and he wanted to be ready.

Me, I saw it as a potential. Much as I like Boondocks Manor, if we left this place, I would not cry dragon tears. Maybe we could even find some tribe that would accept Hiccup the way he should be. Then he'd get adopted into a new tribe, be part of a new family, some new relative would hop on my back behind Hiccup, and we'd head to Hellheimsgate. I also felt this messed up Rider of mine had a better shot leaving this place and starting over again somewhere else.

I dragged the saddle from where Hiccup had laid it in the lean-to, and I helped him put me into it. I did growl enough for him to realize he needed to leave the straps loose enough so the saddle would stay on me, but I could still breathe.

Turns out, I was going to be wearing that saddle for a very, very long time.

* * *

The rest of the day was pleasant, and I enjoyed the chance to catch up on some sleep.

I was only awakened on the edge of afternoon and evening, when I heard footsteps and smelled someone who was not my Rider.

Uh-oh. I'd been dozing in the sun near the lake. Carefully I moved off into the shadows, letting my dark hide blend me in.

The newcomer was a young woman, actually the One True Love. It was the first time I'd seen her, and I have to admit she was very beautiful- not in the dramatic way, but in a down to earth, genuine sort of way. That's the kind of beauty that lasts forever.

Like my Hiccup, she was average height for a Firemaker, which made her very small among these villagers. She was slim but with firm muscles, and she walked like one who was comfortable with her body. Her golden hair was not as long as most of the villagers', but it was still long enough that she wore it in a simple braid that fell to her shoulder blades. Some strands that had come loose around her face showed it was very thick and wavy. Her face was typical of Firemakers from this region, and she even had some freckles. I got the impression that she was both beautiful and cute.

Her eyes were a lovely shade of blue, the color of the autumn sky, but at the moment they were hard and angry.

She wore a rather interesting outfit of a mail shirt, shoulder pads and a strange skirt with spikes on it. _(How does she manage to sit in that thing?) _The metal-and-stone small animal skull pins that decorated her shoulder pads and skirt were a nice touch. Like my Firemaker, she wore no horned helmet, rather she kept her hair out of her eyes (mostly) with a head band.

She stalked around the canyon, carrying an axe almost as tall as she was, but with no difficulty. Her eyes were narrowed and jaw clenched. Oh, this lady was very cross! I guess Hiccup had won the event, after all. Good on him, but maybe not in the long run.

She glowered at our lean-to and how unkempt my Firemaker kept it. _(Hey, we're single guys. We have standards to maintain)._

Then she hopped up on the stone where I usually like to sun, pulled a flat stone from her belt pouch and started sharpening the axe. The screeing sound irritated my sensors, and I snarled softly.

This did not look good for my Firemaker. I crouched to the ready.

And here he came, carrying a pack-basket over his shoulder. He had no idea she was here in the canyon.

"We're leaving," he called out to me, "Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation…forever."

He dropped the basket right at the base of the rock where his doom awaited. I cringed and willed him to move away fast. But he just knelt down and unlatched the basket, muttering to himself.

Just as he stood up to adjust his flight harness, Ástríður make a deliberate scrape of her stone across her axe.

"Huh? Ahhhh! What the…" Hiccup looked up and leaped back in surprise. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

Ástríður set down her sharpening stone and hefted up her axe, "I want to know what's going on." She leaped down and stalked my friend. I saw that she was taller than he was, though not by much.

I also discovered an amazing thing: My Firemaker is a Shapechanger! Suddenly a new creature was in the place of my talented, cheerful friend: a small, scrawny, timid teenager with drawn in shoulders, downcast eyes and arms crossed in front of him as if expecting to be hit with either a fist or an insult. His shaggy reddish-brown hair fell into his eyes, making him look like a nameless thrall-slave, someone everyone ordered out and beat up.

I realized I was now seeing the Hiccup everyone else sees.

I did not like it.

Hiccup backed away from her as she approached; to me it looked like a parody of dancing. His mannerism upset me. How could the very same boy who had faced me down when I first pinned him against a rock allow a girl much smaller than I to bully him like this?

The girl glowered and launched into attack mode, "No one just 'gets' as good as you…especially you."

I crouched down and snarled deeply. _You know that's not true! Why won't you stand up to her?_

"Start talking. Are you training with someone?"

_Actually, yes._

Hiccup continued retreating, 'T-training? N-no, I….uh…" His voice had quieted down to almost a whisper, but he was stammering with nervousness.

I slunk from my current position in the bushes over to a nearby boulder so I could keep an eye on Hiccup if the girl tried to attack him.

Hiccup gasped as Ástríður grabbed his flight harness-hard- and twisted it until he was immobile.

"It had better not involve _this._"

"I-I-I know…. I know…uh…uh, this looks really bad, but you see this…ARRRGH!"

The girl had thrown him to the ground. I winced and let my teeth shoot out. That had to hurt.

A branch snapped somewhere in the area, probably caused by a forest creature, and the girl startled, stepping on Hiccup and walking across his body as if he were not there.

He winced but did not react otherwise. It was very sad symbolism for how his people viewed him.

_Why do they treat him this way? Why can't they see him the way I do? _I snarled again.

Like a sad puppy dog, he staggered to his feet, "You're right, you're right. You're right."

He ran up to her and around her, blocking her in place by standing in front of her. I realized that he was trying to distract her, keep her from discovering me. He was trying to protect me!

Hiccup put a nervous, shaking hand on Ástríður's shoulder, "The truth is, uh, I've been making…outfits!"

I had a rather bizarre image of Hiccup leaning against me on a winter day in the lean-to, happily knitting a cloak, pins in his mouth and a measuring tape slung around his neck. I have a variety of cloth lengths spread on my neck and back along with some sewing paraphernalia. He holds up the garment, spits the pins out says, "So, buddy. What do you think? Does it match the color of her eyes?"

I shook my head and returned to the current drama in front of me.

"You got me. It's time everyone knew." Hiccup moved his hand to grab one of Ástríður's. He put it on his flight harness. "So drrrrrrrag me back, go ahead. Let's go and….. ARRRRRKKKHHH!"

**THUD! **

I winced. Ugh. That really had to hurt. She had twisted his arm pretty badly, knocking him down on his back. Even I felt the thud through the ground at this distance. I was not impressed with this girl. And,I am afraid to say, not impressed with my Rider, for putting up with it.

Even if he was trying to protect me.

"OW! Wh-why did you do that?" Hiccup started to say and started to get up. Ástríður kicked him right back down. I knew that was going to leave some black and blue marks on Hiccup.

I positioned myself into dive bomb mode, thrumming in anger. She was bullying my friend, but I also hated the idea of someone with her skill agressively kicking a person who was obviously weaker than she and not fighting back. I remembered Thundershadow's bullying me when I had been pinned down and helpless and then mind-crippled. I have a real problem with the stronger attacking the weak. Bad habit, I know.

Deal with it.

I snarled softly.

"That's for the lies." Ástríður hissed. Then she dropped her axe handle on him. It bounced off his gut and back into her hand. "And _that's _for everything else."

My Firemaker was gasping in agony, doubled up around his stomach and rolling. Ástríður brought back a booted foot to give him another kick.

_::Enough! Back off! NOW! Or I attack! ::_

My roar was particularly blood curdling. And it got the appropriate reaction.

Both teenagers froze in place for a few seconds like startled deer.

"Oh, man, that hurt." Hiccup was staggering to his feet. She leaped in front of him protectively.

"Get down!" She hit him again in the gut, knocking him onto his back.

_::I said 'enough'! You asked for it! ::_ I roared.

I plunged out of my hiding place and launched myself at Ástríður, wings unfurled, claws out. I started to pounce.

"RUN!" Ástríður screamed, hauling her axe back to swing at me.

_::I dare ya! Go on! ::_

Then Hiccup was on his feet, throwing himself between the girl and me. He had somehow grabbed the axe from her and thrown it. It skittered safely away.

I forced myself out of my charge, my claws tearing yellowed grass up. I had to rear up on my hindquarters and spread out my wings, but I stopped in time.

I came back to all fours by Hiccup with a loud thump. I growled menacingly at Ástríður.

_::You lay another hand on him, lady, and you'll draw back a stump. I mean it.::_

And I did.

Hiccup put a restraining hand on my muzzle, but I shoved against him, angrily. He had to haul his entire weight against me, heels sliding backwards, to keep me from getting closer to Ástríður.

She had turned pale as a ghost, the pupils in her eyes so wide I could barely see the blue irises.

"It's all right," Hiccup told her, "You just scared him, that's all."

_::Yeh, right. Pull the other paw. It has bells on it.::_ I tossed my head and snapped angrily at Hiccup.

Ástríður did not believe it either, "I scared him?" she snarled. And then, "Who Is 'Him'?"

_:: You continue to impress me every second with your charming diplomacy, Miss Manners. And it's 'Who is he' if you're going to be technical. Huh. ::_

Hiccup gave a pseudo friendly, desperate smile and made a bow to Astríður as if they were at a party.

"Ástríður, meet Toothless." And a bow to me, "Toothless, meet Ástríður."

I made sure my teeth were out to their longest and gave a bloodcurdling snarl.

_::Un-enchanted, I am sure.::_

The girl said nothing, but her mouth moved as if she wanted to scream. Then she spun around and took off for the village, dead leaves skittering under her feet.

I snorted indignantly and flexed my shoulders. Think of it as the People's way of cracking our knuckles.

_:: So you can make intelligent decisions, after all. Goodbye!:: _

Hiccup did not seem as relieved as I was.

He dropped his hands to his side, his shoulders drooping, "Dut duh duh", he sang, "We're dead."

I rolled my eyes.

_::That's the basic irony of life, isn't it, Hiccup? No one gets out of it alive.::**_

I turned around and trotted back to Boondocks Manor. I wanted some fish and a good nap.

"Heyheyheyhey! Where do you think you're going?"

Footsteps sprinting my side, a graceful swoosh, and then he landed neatly on my back. He gently pressed his left leg into my side, spinning me to turn back around, "We have to catch her, Toothless. If my father finds out about you, we really are dead!"

Good point. I am rather attached to my head and hide. I halted and sucked my breath in for him to tighten the girths. Then I took off as he was clipping my harness to his.

We caught up with the One True Love just as she was jumping over a log. Good old Target Practice. It never lets me down. I grabbed her in my claws and swooped up.

Suddenly the air was full of feminine screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Oh great Óðinn's ghost!"

I smiled evilly (I'm a dragon, not a saint) and flew to a high pine tree, depositing Ástríður near one of the topmost branches.

She clung to the limb by her hands. I landed neatly nearby. The tree bent under my weight. Pine needles rained down onto the forest floor.

Ástríður was pretty brave, I admit. But I heard the ice of fear in her voice as she screamed "Get me down from here right now!"

"You have to give me a chance to explain," I heard my Rider's voice float out over my shoulder.

"I AM NOT LISTENING TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY!"

Sigh. Women.

"Then I won't speak," Hiccup said with a very soothing voice, "Just let me show you." he sighed, "Please, Ásta?"

I saw Ástríður look up at my shoulder, her face pale and determined. She worked her way over to my side and then pulled herself to the top of the branch, hissing with the effort. Then she climbed onto my back. Hiccup leaned over, and I could see him try to offer her a hand. She smacked it away.

I growled at her, making it clear that I was not happy about this, either.

I felt her settle behind Hiccup on my back. Her weight was slight, like his.

"All right," said Her Majesty, "Now, get me down."

A hand gently stroked my neck. I growled softly.

"Toothless. Down…gently."

_::It really depends on how you define 'gently.'::_

I spread my wings out, and the branch started to rise slowly as I did.

Hiccup's voice: "See? Nothing to be afraid of."

_::I happen to take the more minimalist approach to 'gently.' Hang on, kiddies::_

I grinned evilly and launched myself upward as fast as I could, throwing them both backwards. I heard screaming behind me from both my passengers and felt my saddle being pulled backwards. The chest strap held it in place. Hiccup was safe, but Ástríður did not have flight straps.

I picked up from my Rider that Ástríður almost fell off my back, but she wrapped her arms and legs around him as I flattened out.

His thoughts roiled. _:::I can't see anything! She's got a hand right on my eyes and mouth! Pfff! Ummph! This was not how I envisioned being hugged by her! Especially since she's going to kill me for this!:::_

She must have moved her hand because then he could speak again.

"Toothless! What's wrong with you! Bad dragon!" Hiccup was laughing helplessly, "He-he's usually not like this!" he yelled at Ástríður.

I curled my lips back. _::If she had not hit you, I never would have done this.::_

I looked down at the sea and banked to the right.

"Oh, no….." Hiccup moaned.

_::Oh, yes! We are now starting our descent into the North Atlantic. Please ensure that your saddle clips are secure and you are sitting in an upright position... :: _

I plunged towards the ocean and then came up just at the last second, bouncing across the water surface. Chilly water splashed over us all. The shrieks were very gratifying.

"Toothless! What are you doing?" My Firemaker's voice was sharp with fear… and anger, "We need for her to like us!"

_::No, buddy. We need for her to respect us. I've had enough of this using my Rider as a punching bag. ::_

I decided to throw in some spinning; I was curious how it would affect the sound of Ástríður's screaming.

Turns out, it was a very interesting noise.

"And now for the spinning." Hiccup said flatly, as if this was a daily performance. "Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile."

_::The pleasure is all mine, you silly mammal.:: _

And I meant that, too.

I stopped spinning and dove down again.

"Okay, okay!" Ástríður's quavering voice came from my back, "I'm sorry! J-just get me off this thing!"

I heard the genuine regret in her voice and nodded my head. I had been waiting for that. I wanted her to feel the same helplessness my Rider had felt when she had beat him up. Mean of me, maybe. But I am not as forgiving as my gentle Rider is.

I leveled out and slowed down. The wind died down, and the only sounds now were the beat of my wings and the sea crashing gently on the shoreline.

During the acrobatics the sun had started to go down, staining the world in a beautiful ember red color. I had to admit it was peaceful and enlightening.

On my back there was some shifting as someone sat up straight. I felt Ástríður's legs come down to my sides again. From my Rider's mind, I picked up that she had put her hands now on his shoulders to secure herself on board. He turned to look at her and make sure she was all right.

_Awww, isn't that sweet? Okay, just for this once I'll play the part of the horse._

So I was the knight's noble steed, and I took them on a romantic flight. Hiccup let me take the lead, just shifting his feet in the pedals to adjust the tail fin. I picked up a gasp of amazement from the girl. She had not realized such a device was possible… or that the Annoying Fly at the Feast could actually make something useful.

Or could have bonded with the most dangerous dragon her people knew, forging an amazement partnership. It was a possibility she had never considered.

At that point, I think he moved in the Ignoring Scale up to the level of Unexpected Pleasant Surprise.

The path I took was actually the circuit I make – err- used to make when I did Signaling duties. I'd coast around the Isles, checking for fog patches and dangerous new rock formations. But this is a beautiful area to cruise. With the fall colors now tinting the mosses and grasses and trees to colors of fire, it was lovely from the air.

Remembering the way the Turkmene had linked Gatalas to me, I realized I could do the same for Ástríður, via my Rider.

And since we were all in contact, I started picking up feelings from her as well.

She was experiencing an emotion she had not felt since her family moved to the Birch Island. It's called wonder.

She had loved living in Southern Norway, loved her friends. She was trained how to fight as a warrior, but she enjoyed dancing and playing the flute and drawing pictures. Best of all, she loved riding the family's fjord horse, Toppur, at a mad gallop across the beaches, dreaming that he would grow wings and she could reach up and touch the clouds.

And then, one day, her parents told her that they were moving. There was a need for a ship designer on Birch Island. It was hard leaving Toppur behind, but this island was no place for a horse. For good reasons, it turned out. Horses were dragon food.

Suddenly she was thrust into a whole new world, one where being a warrior was all that mattered. She wanted to be a warrior, but she also wanted to have other things in her life. The people here were at perpetual war against dragons, so all resources of the village went to this battle. Gone were the dances, the songs, the drawings, the dreams of clouds. There was only the fighting.

As the new kid, she was reamed mercilessly. The smallest and thinnest of the children, she was an outsider with a weird name.

Well, not all the kids beat her up. There were two other kids who were outsiders. At first she tried to ally with them, but they were both extremely weird, especially the chieftain's son. When she stepped in one day to defend him, he did try to help her, but just made things worse in the end.

She'd wiped the blood from her nose and told him he could fight his own battles. Her father had praised her, though, for standing up for someone else. But she never did that again. She begged her parents to teach her self defense skills. It was hard, but she worked tooth and nail to prove she was better than these local kids.

Eventually her hard work paid off. The others in the village started recognizing this small, skinny girl was good at whatever she did. And, as she began to grow into a teenager and was no longer the smallest teenager in the village, they began to realize that she was also very beautiful.

Now she had lots of admirers, but not the right ones. Their attention was based on winning her for their own status. She cursed the poor selection of men on this island and just stuck to her goal of becoming the best dragon fighter on the island.

Eventually she hoped to be made into the chief trainer and, perhaps her ultimate dream, the Captain of the Guards.

But tonight, she did not have to be that. Now, while she rode on my back, she could be a little girl again, riding a swift steed in the clouds. She could reach out her hands and touch the clouds. She could laugh, realizing they are made of water, not wool. She could take delight in just enjoying the moment.

And it was the shy young man in front of her…

_::Hey, don't forget me!::_

… and this beautiful creature who was his friend…

_::Thank you.::_

… who had given her back something she thought she'd lost forever.

"Uh, Toothless," Hiccup whispered to me, "She's crying against my back. What do I do?"

Huh. That's what you get for being an only child. I was glad I had sisters, even if I sometimes grumble about it.

_::Just be yourself.::_ I thought back, hoping his hand in contact with my sensor might make help my thought drop in his head_ ::Right now what she needs more than anything- and what no one has yet been- is a friend.::_

I picked up from my Rider's thoughts that he leaned back and squeezed Ástríður's hand where it clenched his shoulder. It must have been a kind, reassuring gesture for someone who is embarrassed to cry, for she put her arms around him and lowered her head to his shoulder, no longer crying but appreciating his kindness. Especially since she had been so hard on him, and he had never been anything but kind to her in return. At seven and odds, as the Viking expression goes, he was the better person.

She sighed into his hair and whispered a thank you to him.

Isn't it funny how when you fly up and look down, the things you thought you knew look very different?

_:::Oh, man. This is great. You're the best, Toothless.:::_

_::I know that, but actually that was you who just comforted her, not me.::_

I was feeling warm and happy inside, though. It was nice to help make a friend's dream come true.

I gave them a nice show. I soared up into the clouds, and we followed the path of the clouds until the sun faded and the moon came out.

I heard Hiccup give a little whistle to get Ástríður's attention. He pointed at the Northern Lights pattern that had manifested near us.

_Hmm… yes, it is late September now. That is one of the best months of the year to see Northern Lights in this part of the world. _I wondered if Firemakers could feel the Northern Lights like we People can… we sense the magnetic pulses in them.

I left the best surprise for last.

We soared down by the village, passing the sentinels, their torches now lit to warn ships in the sea. The village sparkled with candlelight against the backdrop of cliffs and sea.

I heard Ástríður gasp in amazement as she saw her home from the air for the first time. I think my Rider was grinning in childish delight.

I know I was.

And then I swooped away from the village, heading back towards the sea. This time I just drifted aimlessly, and my passengers started talking to each other.

I let them have their privacy and did not listen. It was nice that they were talking, and relaxing with each other. I think they may have been discovering they had more in common than they realized. Every once in a while I'd see Hiccup's hand come past my head , pointing out a star constellation. And she seemed to enjoy it, adding in her own comments, directing his attention to constellations he had not known of.

I smiled and stared at the sea below, the sky clear and dark.

Except for a patch of boiling fog- a perfect oblong of fog, swirling in a clear sky.

_Hmmm._

_Wait a minute. We are in the vicinity of Hellheimsgate. I know this place! I've flown by here many times and never seen anything like that before._

And then I realized that Gatalas and the Turkmene had been right about the Portal, but wrong about how to discover it.

You need two Firemakers, but not relatives. They have to be a man and a woman.

I flew down toward the misty oblong, my passenger talking softly to each other.

_::I hope you two will forgive me for this.:: _I thought to them.

And I flew into the portal.

**= Toothless' comment here is parapharsed from a very famous Heinlein quote (The supreme irony of life is that no one gets out of it alive.)


	11. The Plunder of the Beast

**Chapter 11: The Plunder of the Beast**

And the next one... I can't believe I am up to this part of the story. And I can't believe I worked a really bad lullaby into it!

**Disclaimer:**Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell own these characters. I dare one of you to name your next child "Disclaimer"

_"You live and learn. Or you don't live long".- _(R.A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long)

* * *

I think there was a part of me that expected, after all this searching, a more dramatic entrance into the portal. I was relieved, in truth, that it was every bit as simple as the Turkmene and her Rider had indicated. I was bringing two unwitting hostages with me, and I felt sick to my stomach that I could be putting them in danger.

Thankfully, there was a bit of pressure for me, but nothing my Firemakers noticed, and then we were through the boundary line.

We had passed from a clear fall night into a world of mists. I noticed the mists right away, and that it was already warmer than it should be for this time of the night- more like a late fall afternoon in the North Atlantic.

I thanked the Sky Lady that my passengers have lived here long enough that they are used to mists creeping up and slinking out on a regular basis. It took them some time to notice something was different was happening around them. I wanted to ease them into it that I had kidnapped them. I just hoped it would be worth it.

They had fallen silent, a natural reaction to fog. I think it's a survival skill for Firemakers in this region. When the fog rolls in, they go silent since they have to stop relying on vision and start using their other senses. I got the impression they were both absorbing the events that had just happened to them in the last few hours.

It was Ástríður who broke the silence first. She was still filled with wonder and, I think, a lot of heaviness in her soul that she had been so abusive to Hiccup, not just now, but ever since she had known him. She was finally realizing he was different from everyone else, but that did not mean he was something to scorn. He had the clear eyes to see things that others chose to ignore.

And by extension, her feelings also extended to l'il ole me, the evil, vicious Nightfurygetdown who enjoys eating Viking babies (we're apparently partial to one or two Danish at breakfast). She'd been training these past years to kill People like me, and now that she had met one of the most dangerous of the People she realized that we can actually be nice.

_See, Ástríður? Once you stop hitting my Rider, I am a perfect gentleman._

As a matter of fact, she now realized, I am pretty much Hiccup as a dragon. So, the villagers feared me and despised him, even if we are the same in our build and personalities.

It sure shows how Firemakers are obsessed with appearances. They see Hiccup and dismiss him as the idiot (how can a wiry little Viking with freckles, big front teeth and big green eyes ever be someone to respect?) They would have done the same to me if they saw my appearance before experiencing my firepower (how can a little black flying cat-reptile with freckles and big green eyes do any sort of damage?) But since I am invisible at night, they had to judge me based on my actions and not my looks. Small and sleek as I am, it was I that knocked down their towers and sent terror through their thoughts at night, not the bigger People.

It's food for thought, is it not, my friends?

Ástríður summed it up beautifully with her words, coming to me through the mist. "All right. I admit it. This is amazing."

Her strong but kind hand stroked my shoulder, "And he is amazing."

_::Why, thank you, m'lady! Let's just hope you still like me when you discover what I just did to you and Hiccup.::_

They were both very solemn now.

I heard Ástríður gasp, "Hiccup, oh no. What are you going to do tomorrow? You have to..." she dropped her voice down to a whisper to hide what she said next.

She was dealing with a Signaler here. She'd never be able to tone down her voice enough that I could not hear her on some level.

Kill. A. Dragon.

That's the "prize" for this training course? One of my People gets slaughtered in some sort of adulthood ritual? Or, conversely, a young Firemaker is killed at his own adulthood ritual?

I sighed, heavy hearted. Three moons ago, if I had heard those words from the girl, I would have been outraged and attacked Ástríður for her comments. Now, I was only sad. It showed how things had fallen apart over the years between these two species of Firemaker and People.

The Firemakers slaughtered one of my People every year at a coming of age ceremony.

My People attacked the Firemakers, and more than a few had carried off their children.

Does that justify putting a terrified dragon and a relatively inexperienced teenager into an arena to fight to the death? What does that actually accomplish?

Tell me, please.

It also showed me how much I had changed in these last few weeks that I could now see this from both perspectives.

And so did my Rider. He initially shot me down to impress his people. Now he wanted to run away with me to keep from killing one of my People, sacrificing his future to protect my folk.

Well, we're in deep now- so let's hope we could get to the root of this tragic situation.

The mist was getting heavier, and I could now smell sulfur and smoke mixed in with water. It made me sneeze.

_Huh. Hellheimsgate sits not far from the Westman Islands, so it is possible that there could be volcanoes, and this is a different reality and... ohhhhhhhhhh. That feels so..._

...right. What a beautiful song.

It was a lullaby, sung in the most beautiful thought voice I had ever heard. The singer was a kindly Lady with a generous heart and who welcomed all to her embrace.

My father had sung that lullaby to my sisters and I in our den, so it had particular meaning for me.  
Of course, you would have heard it as our typical purring and crooning, but it was lovely enough this night to wind its silken melody around my willpower.

I guess if I were to put it in Firemaker concepts (and I am NOT good at this) it would come across as:

_Hush a bye  
Don't you cry  
Go to sleep my little one  
The day will come  
When you'll touch the sun,  
And soar through the sky.  
For now you'll rest  
Against my loving chest.  
Kitten's soaring off to dreamland  
One by one  
The winds have begun  
To swirl and twirl  
For my little one  
Clean and pure  
Strong and sure  
Sighing in the night  
When you wake  
You shall have  
The sun and the wind and the sky.  
Can you see the proud wind spirits  
Dance before your eyes?  
All the watchful wind spirits  
Will be there when you arise  
Hush a bye  
Don't you cry  
Go to sleep my little one  
The day will come  
When you'll touch the sun,  
And soar through the sky._

_Oh, my family, how I miss all of you! I can no longer feel your memories!  
I've been so lonely. And forgotten. I've lost so much in my life. My People. My tail fin. My home. My very identify._

_**::My child, it does not have to be that way. You are home now. I will take you in, take care of you, make you whole again.:: **_

_::Oh, thank you, My Lady. You are right, My Lady. It does not have to be that way. You'll take care of me. Oh, thank you. Thank you. I am yours to command.:: _

"TOOTHLESS!" My Rider's panicked voice cut through the beautiful melody and the lovely promises the Lady was crooning to me.

_**::Poor lost child. Broken and unwanted. Come to me and I will give you the comfort and love you deserve.:: **_

I shook my head and snarled. I wanted that Lady to take me to her side and comfort me!

But that's the last thing I needed. I had two Firemakers to consider. My passengers shifted on my back, and I felt Hiccup's hand brush against one of the middle sensors on my head.

The siren song stopped, but when his hand moved away, it started again.

_**::Come to me my child...:: **_

_Oh. That's another reason why I needed the Firemakers._Their brainwaves must interfere with this strange thought pattern pulling me towards it. With them on my back, I could still have control over mysef.

I flapped one of my ear sensors back against Hiccup's left hand. As with the sand drawing on the day we bonded, when Hiccup moved his hand away, I growled. He put his hand back on my sensor. I purred. He removed it. I growled.

Then I felt him tying one of the wrist straps to bind his hand to my sensor. It was not the most comfortable position for my ear, but it kept him in physical contact with me, blocking this horribly welcoming siren call out.

And then we weren't alone. A Self Burner nearly dropped in over me. I snarled at her.

She was carrying a dead deer in her claws. My passengers gasped in surprise.

"Get down!" Hiccup hissed to Ástríður and they lay flat on my back as the Self Burner soared over me to drop by my side.

I locked eyes with hers. Her golden eyes flickered with a moment's recognition, but then glazed over again.

And then other People began to drop down by us until we were part of a swarming, pulsing caravan of People, each one grasping prey of some sort. I saw pigs, whales, sheep, deer, cattle, horses...

It should have been something beautiful and magical to see so many of us flying together, different colors and tribes, moving as one. Each of our tribes has its convocations where we meet, debate law, discover if we will be Chosen to be parents. But there has never been a Convocation for all the tribes together.

But this- this felt like a mockery. I felt as if I were soaring among the flying dead. At least during the attacks on the village, the People had some awareness. Here, in this portal, it was as if they had all life and will beaten out of them.

The smell of sulfur and molten rock became stronger. I began to pick up large basalt rock formations outlined in the mist.

"Toothless..." Hiccup's voice was starting to panic.

"What's going on here?" Ástríður said, her voice tight with urgency.

"It looks like they're dragging home their kill." Hiccup said darkly.

Ástríður gulped, "What does that make us?"

I gasped to myself: _Oh, please let me not have brought you two to your deaths, Firemakers._

I vowed then and there to protect these young Firemakers with all my strength and to my last breath.

"Toothless?" Hiccup's voice was beginning to sharpen with terror as he stroked my neck with his free hand, "You've gotta get us out of here, buddy."

I heard the pedal on the left click as he tried to turn me around, but I refused to cooperate with my wings, so we just wobbled in a stalemate until he released the pedal and let me go forward.

I hated myself for it, but I shook my head and rumbled gently.

_::I'm sorry, Hiccup. I have to do this. It's now or never.::_

I felt my Rider stiffen on my back as he realized this was out of his control.

_:::Very well, Toothless. I hope you know what you are doing:::_He bit his lip and went into his stubborn, determined mode, preparing himself for the worst.

Behind him Ástríður sat warily, eyes trained on the People moving around us. This was hard for her, since she was used to being able to take action. But she quietly observed the motions around her.

Now we were flying above a black coastline that bordered sharply with the sea. The shore was completely covered with glass-sharp black lava stones. Above the shore was a huge conical volcano. Luckily the volcano seemed to be past the ash cloud phase and was now pushing lava out of its torn flanks.

Otherwise, our lungs would have been clogged with cement like ashes in no time.

An elderly Two Headed Person drifted by me and called out with one head _:: Greetings, young Lightning Person! Where have you gone? We have not seen you lately.::_

I growled a polite response to him.

Well, at least _someone_was showing some recognition of anything other than answering the Lady's pull.

The group of People was now surging towards an old lava tube, dipping into it. I swooped in right along with them. Both my passengers screamed in fright and vertigo.

And then we were sailing into a large cavern within the volcanic cone. The hot and heavy temperature was miserable for me, a child of the high mountains and cool ocean breezes.

And there were People. Hundreds of People clustered along ledges and outcrops in the cavern. The air was filled with their noises and they called to each other, identifying themselves. But no one was having a conversation as you would usually get in a gathering of the People. It was very creepy in its solemnity. These People acted like beaten down prisoners.

Eggs of various tribes were secreted through the cavern, heated by volcanic energy.

At the base of the cavern was a huge pool of molten rock, and it sent up streamers of sulfur and gases.

My jaw was open in amazed horror.

_Better find somewhere to land and hide, Toothless._

I dropped to an old lava shelf partially covered by a "curtain" of frozen lava that seemed to have dripped down the wall. My passengers were both sweating heavily in the heat and breathing hard. Hiccup's hand on my sensor was trembling. I felt a cold haze through my body as I tried to fight both my fear and the Lady's song.

"What my dad wouldn't give to find this place," Hiccup rasped, his voice dropped low as he struggled to control his fear. He used his free hand to wipe the sweat running into his eyes.

_Of course._That would make sense. Apparently Hiccup's father had just returned from a mission to find the Nest where the all my People live. If he could destroy that nest, then the problem would be solved.

But he's wrong about that. True, a lot of the People do seem to have nests here, but I know they don't all live here. I remembered from the attack map I had sketched so long ago. Many of the People were drawn from their nests to fly here and then fly out on raids. Then they'd return here after wards. Was here where they received their attack orders? Or inspiration from a leader? More than a nest, this might be some sort of "holy ground" or temple for them?

Except I would never use the world "holy" to describe this place.

Now our attention was drawn to the lava pool. My People were swooping over it and dropping in the carcasses of the prey.

It was just too strange to comprehend!

"Well, it's reassuring to know all our food's being dumped into a large hole." The Supreme Snarker said from my back.

I nodded my head in agreement. _::What you said.::_

"They're not even eating it," Ástríður gasped, "So...why?"

A cute little Lava Person soared over the lava, a scruffy teenager who had sometimes shared a friendly fish with me on those rare times I let myself socialize. She was not carrying anything.

When she opened her mouth, there was a pathetic little flatfish in it. She dropped it into the pool. It somehow seemed a more paltry "offering" than what others had brought. My silly little friend was not the most motivated of People.

She rocked back and started to scratch at an itchy scale on her neck, eyes closed in concentration.

**::Oh, my dear Lava Person, that will not do:: **that beautiful, husky sensual thought voice stroked my ears. The same one who had been singing and promising me happiness.**::That's not even a snack. Sweetheart, I will have to ask you to make up the difference!::**

The three of us on the rock yelped in horror as an enormous head launched out of the lava pit, spattering lava everywhere. The lava spattered on the rock ledges, running down them and creating the curtains like what I was now hiding behind.

The little Lava Person shrieked as she realized her fate, but time had run out for her.

The enormous beast that rose from the lava snapped its jaws on her. My only consolation was that the end had come quickly for the little Lava Person.

I closed my eyes and asked the gods to take my little friend home.

"Wha-what is that?" Hiccup gasped in horror.

The creature who had arisen from the pool was terrifying in her magnificence. She was heavily armored and had reached an age bordering on eternity. I imagine most Firemakers would see her as ugly. To we People, a creature like that who lives so long and has so many scars, horns, claws and scales and, yes, at least six eyes on its head may not beautiful, but she is majestic. Her dignified bearing and her rich and lovely thought voice made her far more terrifying than if she were a brute, dumb beast bent on destruction.

No, this Lady was someone who had a charming, magnetic personality.

and used it to her advantage. And she enjoyed seeing others in pain and torment.

All around the cavern People shuddered in horror and squawked. The cavern became full of flying and screaming People, trying to escape this creature who was now reaching up to snap another Person too slow to escape her jaws. I saw a group of Lava People huddle together, trembling, proud and tough warriors reduced to mewling kittens.

The Lady licked blood off of her enormous, cracked teeth, each one three times as tall as I was.

_**::Now, darlings, do let's be more more careful in the future shall we? I give you shelter and warmth and belonging. I don't ask for much, and it brings a tear to my eye, it does, when one of my Followers must be terminated like this wayward daughter. It would be such a shame to have to clean this place out with my fire, would it not? But I am in a mood for it. Unless you convince me otherwise, little ones.:: **_

More crouching and begging to spare them from her flames.

Now the Lady gave a noble, commanding roar, _**::So let's make sure that does not happen, little ones. Bring me my tribute, and I will let you live a little longer.::**_

I heard quiet and sad thought voices pledge their allegiance to the Lady. She was good. She was merciful. She deserved their loyalty. They deserved to be eaten. It was only her kindness that kept them alive.

I curled my lips back. It was tragic to see my proud People reduced to terrified slaves.

"Toothless!" Hiccup's voice was urgent, "Get us out of here, NOW!"

_::I'm on it!:: _I had seen more than I ever wanted to know.

I knew exactly who that Lady was, now.

I heard the left pedal click down. I spread my wings to take off.

_**::Well, how delightful! We have a guest in here, I believe. Introduce yourself, little lonely heart. And I see you have tribute for Me. Two Firemakers, well, well. I do so love a Firemaker every once in a while- and you brought a matching set. What a special young Lightning Person. Come close, dear child, and let me see you.::**_

_Oh, no! Gods help me!_

I launched upwards towards the lava tube. I felt Hiccup engage the ascender and I plunged both sets of wings, shooting upwards from the ledge rapidly.

I heard an enormous heavy jawed head and its teeth clamp on to the ledge where I had just been. Rocks screamed under the Lady's attack. The great head raised up again to launch itself up at me.

_Wings, don't fail me now! _I flew upwards higher, trying to get away from that evil being. I felt Hiccup flatten himself against my shoulders and Ástríður follow his lead. That helped me distribute the weight better, and I started flying higher, bursting into the speed that is my heritage.

_::Go, Lightning Person! Go and tell your People to save us!::_The elderly Two Headed Person who had greeted me jumped behind me, intercepting himself between me and the Lady.

I heard the Lady's jaws crush him in one swallow. He bravely went down like the heroes in our history tales.

_I never met you, sir. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I promise._

We wound up hiding ourselves in a swirling curtain of wings and quills and claws and purring sounds as we fled the volcano.

That was our perfect cover, and we were able to retrace our steps back through the cave and, ultimately, the portal itself.

We plunged with the swarm out into a beautiful, clear autumn night. Out into sanity!

All three of us gasped with relief. Working as a team, my Rider and I wound adroitly through the swarm of People, slipping out of it and drifting more towards Birch Island.

We were so focused on this that we almost collided into one of the panicked People, a Magnesium Person. The mesmerized creature raised his tail to shoot quills into me.

I could not have dodged in time, and Hiccup and I braced ourselves to become pin cushions.

Ástríður suddenly lifted her hands and hissed at the Magnesium Person, waving her hands.

The Magnesium Person squawked and backed away, leaving us in peace.

Hiccup and I both sighed in relief at exactly the same time. If we had not all been stretched wire thin with fear and stress, it would have been funny.

"Th-that was pretty good," Hiccup told the Norwegian girl, when he had calmed down.

I swear, she blushed a bit, "I used to do that to the goats and our horse when they'd break down the fence and invade our garden. A regular occurance, considering my brother's poor fence repair skills. It was kind of a reaction, I guess. I haven't remembered that little trick in years."

She put her arms back around Hiccup, since she had been using only her legs to balance herself on me, "It's funny, for so long we've only dealt with dragons with heavy weapons... I've forgotten there are other ways out there."

I felt her shift as she squeezed my Rider's shoulder affectionately, and then I felt her pat my side.

"Thanks for reminding me. Both of you."

I felt a giddy joy pass through my Rider.

I purred my thanks, both for her helping us out and for her kind words. I was starting to like her more and more. She was a tough lady, for sure, but she had a kind, warm and honest side, too. She'd be a good friend to have at your back. I could see why Hiccup adored her.

But remind me to never, ever get as smitten about a dragon lady as my poor Rider has for this Viking woman.

We turned our attention to the massive group of enthralled People.

The swarm itself spun further south. We watched it go in a twisting cloud of wings and tails.  
Ástríður sighed in relief, "They're not headed for Berk tonight. But I pity the people who will have to fight them tonight."

I took them back towards Birch Island. The flight took a while, giving us plenty of time to speculate on what we had just seen.

"So that's why the dragons have been raiding our village," Ástríður said, "It was to give food to that... thing. Or it kills and eats them."

I shuddered. She was lucky she had not had to hear the very seductive pull this creature had on my People.

"I just don't buy that" Hiccup said softly over my beating wings, "I can't see how one creature could control so many others like that."

Ástríður shifted on my back and wrapped her arms closer around Hiccup. The gesture soothed my Rider. I think she was wanting to put him at ease.

"No, it totally makes sense, Hiccup. It's like a giant beehive. That... thing... is like the queen and they are the workers, and the queen totally controls them."

_Close, _I thought, _but not quite. Bees at least have a hierarchy and receive some benefit from helping their queen. This is more like a parasite. My People are her slaves, not workers.  
But more: I have seen this creature before. Not this one, but one like it._

I remembered when I had been crossing the Steppes and had been attacked by those unnatural creatures, the ones with the wolfish heads, heavy jaws and paralyzing venom and strange knobs near the eyes. (New eye buds, it turns out) I remembered at the time the creature who had grabbed my leg in its powerful jaw had used some sort mind control to take away my will to fight.

Gatalas, the Turkmene and I had fought them off. The Turkmene had said they were youngsters.  
Guess what they grow into?

This.

I would not have seen it right away since those creatures were more slender, but this Lady (or whatever) had lived here for at least three hundred years.

If you've been manipulating People like this for three hundred years, and eating well and growing in size as you age, you get more and more powerful. It's a sick parasitical relationship. She's convinced my People they are getting something from her, when they are not.

I remembered that were no People in the Steppes so other eldritch creatures stepped in to fill place our People would have, and these creatures are not as ethical as my People.

Some of them obviously had moved beyond the Steppes and into remote regions like this where they could set up their parasitical haven. This Lady had been going at it for so long that she was even pulling in People from outside the North Atlantic. And they were going further out into Europe to find food.

Perhaps... just a guess on my part, the Lady- if she has some self fertilization ablitlies- might even be forcing her minions to take her eggs into various parts of Europe, starting new colonies.. That might explain the gradual hatred of my People I was seeing across Europe on my journey here.

Birch Island was within view now. My Rider adjusted the tail fin, and I banked down into the canyon. I hit the ground smoothly, running but gradually slowing into a trot, walk and then a stand still. My Rider began to unclip his harness from mine with a whispered "Thank you."

Ástríður leapt off me and began to run for the slot leading out of the canyon.

"Come on! We've got to tell your dad about this.'

"No, Ástríður!" Hiccup ran after Ástríður, catching up to her and then blocking her way, the clips on his harness swinging back and forth long after he stopped.

He put a hand on her shoulder, "No. If we tell Dad, the townspeople will kill Toothless!"

I felt ice in my stomach and saw the look of sad desperation on my friend´s face. It made me feel even sicker inside. I could not bear the thought of what it would do to him to see me killed. For me it would be a few moments of misery, but he would carry the pain of our broken bond for the rest of his life.

Trying to suppress my dread, I walked to the lake and started to drink. The long journey and the heat of the cavern had dried me out.

I felt Ástríður´s clear blue eyes on me as she looked me over. I raised my head and stared back at her, water dripping from my muzzle.

"Look, Hiccup! We just found the very thing our people have been looking for ever since Vikings settled Berk. And you want to keep it a secret...to protect your pet dragon?"

The look on Hiccup´s face was quiet determination as he stood straight and looked into Ástríður's face with firm green eyes, "Yes."

I caught a thought from my Rider. _::: He is NOT a pet. He is my best friend.:::_

_::Ditto, Firemaker. And good on you for standing up for yourself.::_

I saw a look of surprise chase across her face... and then respect.

"So," she said softly, "What do we do?"

Hiccup turned and walked back towards where I was by the lake. He stared into some private world in his mind, "Give me until morning. I'll think of something."

Ástríður came up to stand in front of my Firemaker. "And one more thing..."

WHAM!

She belted him across his left arm. He yelped in pain.

"That´s for kidnapping me."

_(I reminded myself to stay away from her once she figured out I had technically kidnapped both of them to bring them through the portal)_

Hiccup winced and rubbbed his arm. He looked back at me and gave me a "Help me!" shrug.

I looked up from the water and shrugged back,_ :: Women. Whatcha gonna do?::_

Ástríður now shyly combed some loose strands of her curly blonde hair back into its braid, a blush creeping across her face.

Then she grabbed Hiccup´s tunic laces, pulled him gently close to her and kissed him on his cheek. He sank into it, sighing in amazed pleasure.

"And that´s for everything else", Ástríður said with an affectionate smile.

I think I had a toothless grin on my face as the girl turned to leave.

"I´ll see you tomorrow, Hiccup."

She quickly rushed towards the canyon slot as if she were surprised and delighted she had just kissed a boy. And one whom she would never have expected to kiss.

I padded towards Hiccup, who was staring after her, a dreamy expression on his face, cheeks red and a smile of delight.

I tossed my head and gestured my muzzle, coming very close to his face, trying to get his attention.  
He just kept staring ahead with that goofy smile.

I chuckled to myself and snorted at him, ruffling his hair.

He came out his trance and looked at me, touching his hot cheeks.

I purred at him. _:: Love is in the air...::_

"What are you looking at!" he snapped at me, embarrassed, but his mouth turning up on one side in remembered joy.

I smiled and curled into a dragon loaf.

_::So I guess we´re not running away any more.:: _I barked at him.

He strode to the lake and splashed water on his face to bring himself back to reality. Wiping water from his face, he flopped down by me, leaning against my shoulder.

"I have no idea what to do." he said as I stared back at him solemnly. I think what we saw tonight was more than what either of us had ever expected.

"I know if I tell Dad, he'll just want to attack that thing's nest, not figure out a strategy. I love him, but I know he's going to be way over his head if he fights that thing. He's that full of anger against dragons. And worse than that- the first thing he'll want to do is kill you, Toothless."

I snorted softly and nuzzled Hiccup´s shoulder.

Kill, kill, kill. Don't try to come up with a plan. Just kill.

My Firemaker ran a hand up his face, ending up with pulling his bangs from his eyes. His hair seemed to grow like a waterfall. In the time I had known him the bangs already fell below his eyes. Still pulling on his hair as if that would give him some inspiration he hissed through his teeth, thinking.

"I don´t know, Toothless. This whole thing is so sad. Your People have been living in terror. They've raided us for food because if they don't, they'll be killed and eaten. You've been doing this to survive a worse fate. And we've been killing you like it is the only thing it matters in life. We display your heads and hides, and all you were doing was trying to survive. If it weren't for that- thing- you would have left us alone."  
I remained quiet, waiting for him to think things through.

He shook his head and let his hair go, letting it fall back in his eyes. "It makes me sick. There's no way I can kill that poor dragon in the arena tomorrow. Or any dragon. I have to convince Dad and the others that you dragons are not vicious killers. That we have to trust you and work with you if we want to survive this monster. It´s a long shot, but it's the only thing I can think of."

He could not spend the whole night down here, not before his Big Day of Doom, but he stayed with me for a long time that night, gathering courage for what was going to be a very challenging day.

Sometime after midnight he dozed off. He started trembling and calling out in his sleep, violent fear tremors wracking his body.

Gently I pulled a wing over him to cover him and nuzzled him.

_Please watch over us all, Night Lady, Sky Lady, Creator Father. And Þór and Óðinn and Frigg. I sense terrible things for tomorrow._

When the sky began to turn gray, I regretfully nudged him awake. He came awake, happy at first.  
Then he groaned and scrubbed a hand across his face. "Welcome to Ragnarok." He muttered as he stood up.

I watched him as he washed up.

Then he came up to me and hugged me. Hard. I encircled him in my wings and purred.  
Is this going to be goodbye for us?

He was trembling horribly now. I lay my head against his and breathed deeply over him. Sometimes before battle my People will do that, blow a breath of ourselves over a friend of ours going into war. We believe we are giving some of our strength to help in the struggle.

Hiccup sighed and released me. He pat my shoulder and then walked out of the canyon, shoulders sunk and heavy.

I watched him go, flexing my shoulders.

_::Fair winds and fly well::_I thought sent after him.

The wind picked up and I heard one of the wrist straps on my harness blow in it.

I realized then that Hiccup had forgotten to unsaddle me last night. I had been so caught up in the events I had not even noticed I was still wearing the saddle.

Well, maybe it was for the best. We might need to flee Birch Island fast. If Hiccup came out of this experience alive and moving.

The winds were stronger and stained with rain. Today might be clear, but I sensed bad winds would be coming tonight.

I hoped it was not in more ways than just the weather.

* * *

When I was trying to figure out how to write this part of the story last night, the folk lullaby "All the Pretty Little Ponies" kept going through my dreams. I was sure I had gone around the bend. (We had a big independence day celebration last night at work, so I got to sleep very late.) But then I did some research and found out that song has a chilling similarity to this chapter. It always seemed way too sad to me in tune to be a lullaby, and it really is a call for freedom disguised as a lullaby.

It is a traditional American lullaby with very dark and sad origins. It is believed to be the words of a slave woman who is a wet nurse for her master's child. So she is being forced to take food away from her own child to feed her master's child. She hears her own baby crying in hunger and sings this song for the master's child, but it really is for her own child. The ponies in the song represent the things her own children can never have, especially freedom.

If you want to hear a really chilling version of the song that seems to echo its tragic origins, listen to the one by Kenny Loggins (it's very Celtic/Scandinavian sounding).

And on we go.


	12. A Tragicomedy of Justice

**Chapter 12: A Tragicomedy of Justice **

_It's the hardest part of the movie for me to watch and to write. But it is vital to the plot. I hope it turned out okay. _

**Disclaimers: **I own no Vikings, dragons or characters in here. Also, standing up for the right thing can be dangerous, but it also is very admirable. It's the only way things can change for the better. Take some time to remember and appreciate those who put themselves at risk do the right thing...

_"Being intelligent is not a felony. But most societies evaluate it as at least a misdemeanor"._- R. A. Heinlein (The Notebooks of Lazarus Long)

* * *

The sun came out and the day proved to be beautiful. What an irony. Still, I could sense the weather would turn later in the day. The wind was strong, and I smelled rain in the distance. This region of the world was famous for its powerful fall and winter wind storms, and this was right about the time of the year they started.

I paced around nervously as the sun soared higher. I should have been hungry by now, but all I could think of was Hiccup and what he was experiencing right now. I wished with all my heart I could have been there, but we both knew the consequences of that.

Eventually, as the sun began to filter into the canyon, I forced myself to lie down in a heated nest. I needed my strength. Sleeping seemed impossible, but I closed my eyes and made each muscle relax one by one. It was a trick my mother had taught us. Eventually I was able to doze off.

It was a very irregular sleep. I kept being awakened by bad dreams. There was nothing concrete, just feelings of wrongness and terror, and flashes of black lava stones and the most sickly, greasy fire I had ever seen.

The saddle and harness were not comfortable, either, and kept digging into my shoulders.

And then I was jarred into wakefulness as my sensors and memory stone flared into painful throbbing.

I heard Hiccup's scream of terror slice across my mind. If there had ever been any doubt we were linked telepathically, those were put to rest.

I jerked my head up and felt adrenaline kick into me.

_Oh, no! You're in danger, Hiccup! I'm coming! I'm coming! I'm coming!_

_::Hold on!:: _I roared so long it reverberated around the canyon.

I did not even question that I could not climb out of the canyon. It was not an option. I launched myself at the wall and started climbing. Adrenaline and my concern for my Rider gave me the strength I had been missing before.

It was not easy, and my claws were strained to their limit. But I HAD to get to my Hiccup!

_Up! Up! Up! Come on! You can do it!_

My hindquarters were more powerful than ever, thanks to our training. I felt them thrust as I made the last push to throw my body over the lip of the canyon.

And then I was over the edge.

_Hang on, bud! I'm coming!_

Through my link with Hiccup I could feel ...**terror, running, running, running and never being far enough ahead of an angry dragon. Hundreds of voices screaming and one voice, over all the others, shouting in anger and disappointment.**

I was grateful for that cursed ground work we'd done as I bounded through the forest. It had given me more powerful leg and hip muscles than I ever had in my life, but it still enabled me to be sleek enough to fly or run rapidly.

I shot through the forest, leaping over tree trunks, twisting around sink holes, leaves splattering everywhere under my claws. Deer and rabbits and grouse leaped out of my path as I charged through, all of them staring at me with horror in their eyes.

You certainly don't see a saddled and harnessed Nightfurygetdown come cantering through the forest everyday.

One time I leaped onto an embankment and then plunged off it, right into a herd of red deer. The herd scattered madly in all directions. A young stag and I wound up running neck to neck for a moment, both of us matching each other for stride.

The stag was horrified I meant to hunt him, but I sent him a thought message that I was trying to get to a friend. He was safe from me.

He skidded to a halt and watched me bound off, his nostrils flaring in amazement.

_Hold on, Hiccup! I'm coming!_

**Still more screaming. Someone opening an iron door. A hammer flying and hitting an angry Person.**

As the trees began to thin out, I began to do some short glides, sailing as far as I could before the tail fin collapsed on itself.

_Hold on! Hold on!_

**My Firemaker running for the exit, heart pounding against his ribs. But then he is cut off! Desperation fills his being as he turns and runs back the way he way he came.**

I was now on the outskirts of the village and then half loping/half gliding through the main road of the town.

All the noise was coming from a huge area on the edge of the village, a flat rock surface with a type of metal "forest" around it. My Firemaker's memory told me it was called the Kill Ring.

Hundreds of people were surrounding this surface, and there were large, colorful cloth strips waving in the high wind.

I saw all these images as bare impressions. My sensors were getting more and more urgent impressions from Hiccup's thoughts.

**My Firemaker was suddenly knocked flat on to his back by a Person- I got the impression it was a Self Burner. He was trapped by its paw, and that paw was wider than he was, effectively imprisoning him.**

**He tried to struggle and the claw tightened, digging into my friend. I screamed angrily as I caught pain from Hiccup as one of the Self Burner's claws scraped down his left arm, ripping through cloth and skin. But he did not scream- he was worried it would cause the Self Burner to maul him even more. So he bit his lip instead until it bled and screamed inside.**

_First blood! No! That Self Burner will pay for this!_

I hoped against hope and launched myself in the air.

The incoming heavy storm wind caught me and blew me right towards the Kill Ring. I adjusted my wings to sail into a dive, and my fire rose up in me as the banshee scream that is the trademark of my tribe.

(Well, when I was still part of a tribe)

As Firemakers around the Kill Ring began to run away from me, I let loose an indigo plasma bolt. It sheared through the iron "forest" barrier on the Kill Ring, and smoke rose up around the Kill Ring.

Cries of NIGHTFURYGETDOWN rained down around me as I dive-bombed right into the Self Burner holding my Rider under her claw.

The force of my dive-bomb knocked her right onto her back, releasing my Firemaker. I hoped he would roll out of the way.

The Self Burner and I tangled into a knot, each of us trying to get at the other's throat. Her snarls and hot breath flared up around me as I snapped at her. Neither of us shot our flames. That is an understood code among our People. When we fight, we fight with claw and tooth.

_::Keep away from the Fire maker!:: _I yelled at the Self Burner queen as I used my powerful back legs to kick against her, thrusting her away from my abdomen, _::He's mine!::_

_::I claimed it as my kill! I blooded it! It is not yours any longer!:: _The Self Burner roared back at me as we tussled.

She sank her teeth into my neck where it meets the chest and dug deep.

I loved the look of anger on her face when she realized that my harness protected my neck, so she was only getting a mouthful of leather. That scorched saddle was good for something after all!

I took advantage of her shock and shot out from under her, righting myself in a lighting swift roll. Now I faced her, snarling and my pupils now shrunk to slits of anger. I was only one third her size, but I was pissed off, and you don't want to make one of my kind angry! We are not strong, but we are fast, and she knew I could have my teeth shooting into her neck and slicing her jugular vein before she even shook her head in surprise.

I spread my wings, blocking my Rider from her, and I snarled and snapped at her, jumping at her aggressively, but never connected, always bluffing. The move was one I had learned from watching snow leopards fighting back in the Pamirs.

_::Back off, sister! I really don't want to hurt you, but I WILL kill you if you come any closer!:: _I snarled in a bloodcurdling way_ ::The Fire maker is MINE!::_

Firemaker voices boiled in the background, a constant wave of cries of NIGHTFURYGETDOWN and HICCUP IS A TRAITOR.

The Self Burner launched at me again, snarling and baring her teeth.

I did a lightning strike at her, launching at her vulnerable throat area where it meets the chest. I deliberately turned away, but my teeth snapped together, very close to slashing her neck.

Then I was back in front of my Rider, rising on my hind legs and wings spread out in a lightning swift move.

_::Want a repeat performance? I can strike closer if you like, ma'am!:: _I told her.

She snorted, _::Have it your way, you annoying creature. You're welcome to the Firemaker. And may it give you indigestion.::_

She backed away, glaring at me balefully. Then she turned and moved towards some sort of unusual cave against the wall of the Kill Ring.

I thumped down to all fours, my chest heaving.

_Oh, thank the gods!_

Then my Firemaker was by my side, urgency in his eyes. He pushed at me. Hard. Some distant part of me noticed that his hands were two different colors. One was his skin color. The other was red, and when he lifted that hand from my neck for a moment, a perfect bloody hand print was on my neck..

The Self Burner had carved right down his arm from upper arm to elbow, and he was bleeding pretty heavily. The sleeve of his tunic had been ripped away at the elbow and hung down, now more red than green.

Ironically he had been wounded in the exact same place where Thundershadow had wounded me.

He did not seem to notice the injury in his fear for me.

"C'mon, Toothless! You have to get out of here! NOW!" he yelled at me, pushing at me. As slight as he was, fear gave him some strength and when he pushed against me, he actually rocked me off my front legs for a moment.

I looked back at him and stood my ground, bracing my heels against his pushing. I snarled at him in protest.

_::You're in danger! You're hurt! I'm NOT leaving you!::_I yelled right back him with a mind-send. _::I told you I'd fight by your side, and I will!::_

And then Firemaker men were converging on us, and cries of NIGHTFURYGETDOWN, HICCUP- TRAITOR, KILL HIM, OUTLAW HIM were filling my ear sensors.

Ahead of me, an enormous powerfully built Firemaker strode towards me, one hand out and both fists closed.

It was the red-furred alpha male, the one who knocks the largest of us unconscious with one blow. I knew this was also Hiccup's father. Their body shapes were different, but I could see- and smell- they were related.

Still, this man was striding towards Hiccup with anger in his eyes. I didn't care if he was Hiccup's sire, I would not let him hurt my Rider.

I launched at the man, timing my leap so I was able to knock him flat onto his back. He crashed back, his helmet coming off and rolling away.

He stared at me angrily out of the same grey green eyes that Hiccup has, but there was no compassion in his eyes.

I felt the fire rise in my body, and I opened my mouth to add oxygen so I could blast this man into another reality.

"NO!" Hiccup's agonized voice cut into my anger.

_:::That's my father! NO!:::_ his thoughts screamed in my mind.

I closed my mouth and looked back at Hiccup where he was standing, just a little bit behind me.

_::Very well::_ I told him, _::For you, I'll do this::_

But I moaned in sorrow because I had not been able to protect him from his father's wrath.

The red bearded Fire maker climbed to his feet and then walloped me across the face.

That was a blow to stun a Self Burner and knock it onto its knees. I am much smaller than a Self Burner, so I was knocked right off my feet. I soared in the air for one moment…

.. and then I crashed heavily onto my side, my head exploding in a thousand stars. For a moment the world tilted on its side.

Then I felt Firemaker men surrounding me, pushing me down, pinning me to the ground, forcing my jaw shut so I could not breathe fire.

I wished that I could flame them., But I promised Hiccup I would not! I don't even think I could shoot fire if I wanted to right now. I was so dizzy….

"No! No! No! Please! Leave him alone! He won't hurt you!" Hiccup's desperate voice cut through my haze of dizzy pain.

He was struggling angrily, but Ástríður was pulling him back, trying to save him from being beaten by people who now saw him as a traitor.

He did not understand and clawed desperately, trying to reach me. Blood from his injury spattered on the Kill Ring floor, "NO! NO!" His voice was strangled and I saw tears gathering at the edges of his eyes.

A crazy part of me was surprised. I thought we People are the only species of life on this world that can shed tears when we cry. Go figure. Firemakers shed tears in sorrow, too.

It was a discovery I would have preferred not to make.

The alpha male climbed to his feet with a cat like grace I would never have guessed for a man his size. One more thing he and his son have in common. He wore his hair long and back in a woven braid, but in the struggles, his hair tie had gotten lost and his wavy dark red hair was starting to come loose.

He swept it out of his eyes in a gesture that again echoed his son's, but the look in his eyes was hard with hatred.

"Put it with the others!" he said in his strong and powerful voice.

He strode over to where Hiccup was waiting, still restrained by Ástríður. He reached over and grabbed his son's right shoulder, hauling him off. Hiccup was knocked off of balance, but he recovered and let his father push him towards a huge building decorated with many motifs of Firemakers killing my People. He held his left arm as he was pushed along, but he was still bleeding. I noticed in sadness that he left behind a trail of blood drops in his wake.

Then he and his father were gone.

I heard a little sob and looked up at Ástríður. Her shoulders shook as she took in me and then glanced at where Hiccup had been pushed. Then she rushed out of the Kill Ring, tears now running down her face.

The Viking men who had restrained me now had the joyful task of getting me "put with the others." The main problem was that all the cages were now full, and they did not want to throw me in with another Person.

Luckily the Kill Ring was a cage of its own sort, even if I did blast it open.

Taking advantage of my stunned state, they wrapped chains around each of my legs and across my wings. Next they tied a strap of nasty leather around my jaws to keep me from blowing a fire blast. They dragged me towards a corner of the Kill Ring where there was a large pole. They fastened my pretty much immobile form to the pole. And then they set up a very heavy, fence-like wooden barricade that made a temporary cage, pinning me into the corner.

In my dazed confusion, I looked up at the top of the pole and saw it had the skull of a Self Burner mounted on the top.

I sighed sadly. That must have been last year's lucky debutante at the coming of age ceremony.

This arrangement had the extra added benefit of putting me on public display. Just like my hapless Rider, I had now become a freak show exhibit.

I hate being stared out, being a shy sort of fellow, so it was torture to have a constant parade of Firemakers coming over to the Kill Ring to see what a real _Nightfurygetdown_ looks like.

I wound up curling up into a ball and hiding my face behind my tail. If they were going to look at me, I would at least give them the most boring view possible!

Some were scared by me. ("Look at those evil green eyes! Hey, Hiccup has green eyes like that, too, with flecks of gold- yes, I know Stoick has green eyes, too- but Hiccup has gold flecks like that dragon does! That's proof that Hiccup has been possessed by an evil spirit all along!" "Oh, yes! That black cat dragon is his familiar! I knew it! He's a warlock! We have to burn him- right along with that monster!")

Some were shocked I was so small in size ("That little pussycat has been the one trashing our village? Off spring of lightning and death, my eye! It's just an overgrown alley cat!").

And they all hated me. ("Well, it won't be around much longer to torment our people!")

Someone lobbed a maggoty fish head at me, "Here, kittykittykittykitty!"

Thankfully, his aim was bad. It landed quite far from me.

_::Aw, come on! What kind of admission price is _that? _If you're going to throw stuff at me, can't you make it salmon? Now get out of here! The show is closed! _

I snarled at him with particular venom, and the coward ran away, laughter in his shadow.

I also felt voices of my People reach out to me as dragons in the cages realized I was there.

_::Hey! It's a Lightning Person! Now I've seen the day. I guess the world ends tomorrow!::_

_::What kind of Lightning Person would ever be stupid enough to be captured?::_

_::Hush now, my colleagues:: _This was a rich, sophisticated, cultured voice, I thought maybe he might be from the area the Firemakers call Wales_ ::Were we not all stupid enough to be captured? Let our brother rest in peace.::_

I sent a silent thank you to that unknown Person.

_::When I fought the little pest, I saw he was wearing a saddle like a horse. He's letting that tiny red- haired Firemaker ride him- like a pet!::_ This was the Self Burner

I growled loudly_::Just shut up! All of you! I really don't give a flame blast what you think. JUST! LEAVE! ME! ALONE! SCORCH IT!::_

And they were all quiet.

Except for two voices in the middle cage.

_::Roses are red...::_

_::Violets are blue::_

_::I am schizophrenic::_

_::And so am I::_

Ah, a Double Headed person.

_::Would you please shut up!::_ what I thought was a Magnesium person roared from her cage.

The Double Headed Person said, with total dignity _::We are just talking to Ourselves, ma'am. You must admit, sometimes, it is the only way to have an intelligent conversation here.::_

I rolled my eyes and let my aching, dizzy head fall back to the ground.

_May the Blessed Three save me from idiots! All of you- Person and Firemaker. _

_

* * *

_

More tourists came to view the evil, sideshow attraction of The Evil Nightfurygetdown.

Several younglings decided to show their courage in battle by taking on a Nightfurygetdown when it was chained and helpless.

I wound up being pelted by more garbage and some things I won't mention. All I could do was snarl and snap. The Firemakers had put a leather strip around my muzzle so I could not flame.

"Oy, back off, lads! What kind of Vikings are ye, then, to be throwing stones and garbage at a creature who canna' fight you back!"

A large Fire maker with strange, blond and twisted facial hair pushed into the circle of younglings now tossing midden heap scraps at me.

They bleated at him, but he did not listen to them. Instead he put them on the task of cleaning out the dragon pens.

Most of the unsavory donations from the adoring youth of the village had not hit me, but I still had to shake off some unpleasant presents from my back and wings. I snarled in anger.

The big man leaned on the wooden barricade and stared at me with intelligent blue eyes. He was a powerful man, but also a wounded man. He had lost a hand and a leg to my People, but he moved himself along with his own special grace. He wore a small piece of wood crudely shaped like a foot on one leg, and a hooked piece of sky iron on the end of one arm.

I picked up from Hiccup's memories that this was his blacksmith mentor, whatever his name was. The man looked at me, arms crossed on the barricade and his blue eyes oddly sympathetic.

"Yer not at all what I would have thought ye to be," he said finally, "I was thinkin' bigger and scalier. But I canna' help and think you are a marvel of design. Yer built for speed, y'are. It's just a design I would not have considered. Ye have your own unique style, Night Fury."

_::Getdown::_ my mind supplied, and I growled at the Fire maker to remind him I had some strength left in me to fight.

Heavy steps and then Hiccup's father joined the blacksmith near the barricade. His hair was once again woven back into its braid under his horned helmet.

I was expecting a look of vindication on that alpha male's face, but what I saw instead was misery and sorrow and- to my surprise- tears in his eyes. But he was fighting them with all his strength.

I would not have expected that from this man.

The blacksmith raised his remaining hand and clapped it on the alpha male's shoulder, "Ya all right, Stoick?"

"Aye, I am," Hiccup's father said, "For what it's worth."

He had been carrying something in his large right hand, and he let it drop to the ground.

Hiccup's boots.

The blacksmith looked at them and I saw a look of heaviness cross his eyes.

"I see, Stoick. Outlawing. What a choice to have to make."

The red bearded alpha male leaned on the barricade and looked over me, too angry to meet my gaze.

"It was that or execute him. We know the laws. _He_ knows the laws. Protecting and harboring dragons is punishable by burning or by outlawing. He's let the enemy right through the gates of our village with that damn black beast. Where one comes, the others follow.

" At least with the outlawing he has some chance of a future."

"But winter's comin', Stoick. Where's the lad gonna go? He'll have to keep himself alive out in the wilderness through the winter until he can hook up with a trading ship here- if someone does not try to kill him when he gets to the harbor- anyone can shoot him on sight now- and, being a chieftain's son, bounty hunters'll be lining up for the chance to take him down if he shows himself in civilization."

"Is there any time that is good to be outlawed?" Stoick asked sadly, "It had to be done, my friend." He brushed a hand across his eyes, "I just never realized my son was walking in Lóki´s shadow as much as he was. We're a small village. We cannot afford to have a trickster among us, someone who succeeds by manipulation and deceit."

I snorted in sad exasperation. Truly, truly. No act of kindness ever goes unpunished.

"Ah, Stoick. It's just hard that it had to be yer own son."

The chieftain sighed sadly, "When I took the vow, it meant the village came before my needs. What kind of leader would I be if I let family members of mine be judged on different standards from everyone else?"

"Aye, you have the right of it. So, it's done, then."

"Yes. After I told him he was outlawed and no son of mine, some of the council came into the mead hall and knocked him out- gently, but they had to. The laws say an outlaw has to be taken to the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back and his boots have to be left at home. I asked the men to take him somewhere he had a chance to live, but far enough away it would be hard for him to get back here easily. I'm afraid he will try to come back, and I do want him to have a chance to make it. I think they took him to the salt marshes on the far end of the island"

Stoick stood straighter. He locked his eyes with mine, and now I saw no trace of sorrow only anger and hatred. "One thing I got from the boy is that this dragon – this demon- can lead us to the Nest. So we need to bring it with us on the mission."

I stared back at him, my heart sinking. I had no wish to meet the Lady again, and I knew these Firemakers had no chance in the frozen hells of winning against her.

I was going to bring these people to their deaths. And my Firemaker had been dumped like garbage somewhere in the wilderness in the hopes he would do his people all a great favor and die on them.

* * *

The rest of the day was weird. I saw just how efficient these Viking Firemakers are. Their whole lives are geared around warfare, so everything is ready to be assembled into an attack force in a very short time.

They reminded me of horned ants in the way they mustered their great boats, assembled weapons, and packed supplies. They even had enormous wooden towers on wheels that they called a "Cat-On-A-Pole" but I found nothing remotely feline about them in shape.

Firemakers and their imaginations. I was feeling mightily sick of Firemakers by now, with the exception of one. He was worth more than all of them put together, and they'd punished him for that.

Various peoples came to gawk at me. One time I was awakened by a group of younglings who had strangely compassionate faces. There was a stocky boy with shaggy blond hair and intelligent hazel eyes, a powerful idealized young man with dark brown hair and blue-gray eyes, two tall and thin blond younglings who I thought to be twins. The girl had hip length braided hair and gray eyes. The boy (who did indeed look a lot like Gatalas) had strangely matted hair and brown eyes. And then Ástríður was there, too.

I was too tired to catch their conversation, but they were actually admiring me and seemed oddly supportive of my Firemaker. Good. He needed all the support he could get.

A female drudge Firemaker with tangled, loose, curly blond hair and a sooty face and a threadbare dress with a long hood came around to feed me, pouring some sort of fish gruel in a bowl near me. She was too scared to get close to me and wound up sliding the bowl to me with a dirty bare foot. She was breathing heavily in fear and whimpering a bit.

I was feeling evil, so I spat/snarled at her. She shrieked in terror.

She cried out something that sounded like: _"Go dtachta an diabhal thú!" _ with a very Irish sounding voice and dropped her pot, spattering gruel on the ground near me before running away.

At least it meant I got a bit more swill than intended.

The idea of fish gruel was I would be able to drink it with my muzzle on. I hated it, but I did drink it. And I gritted my teeth and licked the spattered gruel from the ground as well- and what was still left in the pot the drudge had dropped.

I needed my strength, especially if there any way to escape and try to find my friend. The gruel did not taste bad, but I would have preferred fresh fish.

* * *

The Viking long ships were being prepared to set sail as soon as possible, but the Sky Lady had the last laugh when the promised wind storm I had smelled this morning kicked in.

I had to roll on my chained up side and laugh as Vikings took cover when the powerful winds blew in. It looks like they had to delay their mission until tomorrow.

The windstorm was the typical fireworks you get here in the North Atlantic. The wind slams hard against buildings. It rolls the ships in the harbor. When rain falls, it drives it perfectly horizontal.

We got all of that with this storm. The barricades protected me from the worst of it, so I could enjoy seeing how the powerful winds raged through the town. Sometimes the winds would blow a piece of a ship or some sort of heavy farm tools and one time even most of a heavy tree through the village. I would have found it incredibly amusing except I knew my Fire maker was having to make do in the wilderness in this crazy weather.

Three hours past midnight, the winds died down. I sighed and let myself flop on my side to rest a bit. I could hear the village guards start to stir and build up their fire. The smells of burning birch and oak filtered into the sky. Almost everyone had gone inside to either sleep or make last preparations for the invasion (translation: suicide mission) tomorrow.

I became aware of soft footsteps, so different from the usual heavy boots. I opened my eyes and rolled over onto my stomach.

_:::Lovely evening, isn't it, Toothless? Perfect ending to a perfect day.:::_

My first impression was of a Firemaker's bare feet. They were mud splashed and crisscrossed with scratches from branches and brambles. And then torn and muddy leggings. I raised my head and found my self looking up at Hiccup.

_::Hey there, Firemaker. Yup, it's been such a fun day. I hope I never have another like it::_

Somehow he had managed to find his way back to the village from where the guards had left him. Then again, this is Hiccup the Useless. He probably had explored the whole island in his childhood. He'd find his way back here if he were blind.

He dropped to his knees in front of me, shivering from the cold. Other than being very muddy and scratched up, he looked unharmed. He had cut off his entire left sleeve and used it to bind up the slash on his left arm. I just hoped it would not go septic.

_::You shouldn't be here.:: _I warned him, _::If the guards…::_

He sighed, and I picked up _:::I don't care. I came… I … wanted to see you… one last time.:::_

The emotion of the moment must have been making him more susceptible to my thought patterns, but I still think he was reacting mostly to my nonverbal behavior. I'd like to think that, over time, we might have developed a telepathic bond. Well, you know the saying: could have, would have, should have. Too late for it, now.

The barricades came between us, but he tried to fit a hand through one of the wider slats to touch me. I stretched myself as far as I could to the end of my chains and leaned my neck and muzzle out as far as it would go.

It was not far enough. My Fire maker dropped onto his stomach on the Kill Ring floor to give himself more length. His hand and my muzzle met… almost. But not enough.

No magical forbidden friendship bonding tonight, kiddies. The powers that be had won out in the end.

I heard someone moan in sorrow and realized it was me.

Hiccup let his head drop to the ground and I saw his shoulders start to shudder as he broke down into tears. His sobs were as quiet and shy as he is, but to me they tore to the bottom of the soul.

My Fire maker may be small, but he is a Viking. He does not cry easily. For him to have broken down meant he really was at the end of his rope. And who could blame him? He´d lost everything: his family, his tribe, his best friend, and very possibly his life.

I hated it. He had comforted me when my People had banished me, but chained up as I was I could not comfort him. I was heartbroken as I watched him sob his heart out, lying bedraggled and defeated on the Kill Ring floor.

I summed up what strength I had left in me and shoved against the chains and my harness. They dug into me, cutting in to my skin like that vine trap did so long ago. It hurt like the frozen hells, but I pushed against it anyway. My scales and hide stung as the chains dug in, reopening the carefully stitched shoulder wound. Oddly the pain gave me strength, so I pushed harder. I felt blood start to run down my chest and shoulders from various cuts.

And then I was able to flop against the barricades, and my muzzle went into my Rider´s outstretched palm, as it had on the day we bonded.

_::Okay. Is this better?:: _I asked.

Hiccup raised his head and laughed in irony, but grief tears still ran down his mud spattered face. It was all so ironically tragicomic.

He could not say- or think- anything. The only clear thing I could pick up was that is was all his fault this had happened.

I snarled. _::No! I am the one to blame, Fire maker. I used you. I wanted to get out of that canyon. But I dragged you into it. And you are the one to suffer.::_

It was true. I could count the hours I had left in my life on my teeth. But my Fire maker would have to go on living long after I was killed in this invasion. And he would be suffering. Bonds are great, but when they end they hurt terribly.

I think we spent the next few minutes arguing about whose fault it was. Each one of us insisted on taking the blame. It actually would have been funny if it were not so sad.

Finally I put an end to it, _::It doesn't matter. I just want you to know that these last weeks were the best of my life, Hiccup. And it was honor to have known you, sir.::_

_:::Damn. Same here. Same here. :::_ My Fire maker could not speak for quite a while. He put a hand over his eyes and wept softly at what we'd both lost. I let him cry and wished I could wrap my wings around him and give him strength to help him through the lonely days ahead.

Then a cold thought ran up my spine.

I nudged my muzzle furthher into my Firemaker's hand, _::Listen. I just thought of something. You and I know how this will end. That creature will not be content to destroy your Dad's boats. She will be scared. And she will want to destroy every Firemaker – uh- human settlement- in the next few miles to make sure she is never attacked again. This means your village is in danger. You have GOT to make sure some of you survive. I don't care if you are an outlaw. Grab Ástríður and the little kids and anyone else you think will listen to you. Run into the forests. Hide underground. Do… awww… scorch it.::_

He was not listening to me. He wiped his face and looked at me with dead gray eyes, but it was as though he had closed me down. He truly had no thought of his future. All he had in his future was anger and self hatred.

There was a rustling from the guard camp and someone called out, "What's going on in the Kill Ring?"

There was a rush of air and when I looked back at my Fire maker, he had vanished swiftly through the Kill Ring bars and into the night.

_Well, that's that. Goodbye Hiccup. I wish you well wherever you go. And I wish you did not have to s-suffer for ...my selfish decision... to b-bond... with... you. Oh... damn these tears! Damn! _

Against my best wishes, I was starting to cry now, too. At least I had followed the advice of my mother to never cry in front of the ones of I cared about most.

(_::Stormthrill, you can cry, wail, be scared, shriek and drool in terror all you want, son. Just remember to do it where no one can see you. _::)

Thanks, mom. Right as always.

I let myself flop on my side. Tears gathered in my own eyes at the thought of what I had done to my Rider.

One of them broke loose and ran down my face in a hot trail.

Stupid dragon tears. The Firemakers of my home region think dragon tears have healing powers, but how can anything that is created from suffering have the power to bring healing?

A dragon thought-voice cut through my quiet weeping.

_::Amazing. Simply amazing:: _one of the People in the cages called out to me.

_Huh? Whassat? I'm not crying. No. No. Just have a really b-bad cold!_ I choked back a sob.

_:: You may be an annoying little Lightning Person, but you and that Fire maker really do have something special.::_

It was the Self Burner, to my surprise. And her voice was filled with wonder.

_::They're not all evil:: _I told her hoarsely, wishing I could lift my paws to scrub those embarrassing tears from my eyes.

_::I know they are not::_ said the Magnesium person shyly, _::That Fire maker he scratched me on the jaw and made me happy.::_

_::Yes:: _said the Two Headed Person, _::He did scare Us with the evil eel, but when the others left he came back and took it out of Our cell. And he sneaked Us something nice to eat- some lamb We think it was.::_

_::And We agree with that::, _said the other head.

_::Yes, that is true, it is, it is!:: _a silvery Sticky Fire Person's thought voice chirped up from behind a door that was marked EXTREMELY DANGEROUS in runes. I thought her thought patterns marked her as coming from Ireland,_ ::When it was me turn to attack the younglings, he turned it into a fun game for me, he did. He made a magic bug appear out of nowhere and I chased it. It was brilliant fun, it was!::_

The beautiful Welsh voice rumbled behind its door, _::It is true, my comrades. When it was my onerous duty to fight with the younglings, he presented me with a lovely specimen of Sky Grass, and I did indeed feel as though I were frolicking in the Elysium Fields::_

I think my jaw fell open as far as the binding would allow, _::Are you a Lava Person?::_

_::Aye, young Lightning Person. That I am. I admit I am a bit more erudite than most of my kind. I attribute that to eating a manuscript at a monastery in Wales in my wayward youth. It was my curiosity about these Firemakers that led me to being captured , I always lingered longer at the edge of the village than I should. I attack the younglings and all, but I also am quite curious about them as a species. I rue to speculate that I have been here longer than my comrades.:: _

I had to smile a bit. The Lava People are my favorite of the Peoples because they never cease to surprise me. It is so easy to dismiss them based on their physical appearance but the few friends I have made among the People in this region are Lava People.

This surprising Lava Person continued in his dignified way, _:: I can say for true, that the Vikings imprison us, but they are not overly cruel. Not like SHE has treated us::_

That resulted in a variety of squawking and roaring.

_::I just learned about her:: _I thought sent, sitting up a bit against my chains,_ ::Both my Rider and I. We're trying to figure out a way to defeat her. Well, we were anyway.::_

I let my head drop, sorrow at my poor banished friend filling my heart.

The Magnesium person purred, _::I remember you, Lightning Person. I think I had scolded you for not growing up on the night you disappeared. I got captured right after that.::_

I raised my head _::I guess I did grow up a bit. Just not the way I expected.::_

There was some general laughter in the cages.

_::We'd never have thought We'd hear a Lightning Person say that!::_the Two Headed Person laughed

_::We neither:: _added the other head.

I snorted _::I am not one of them::_ I said bitterly.

The Self Burner roared in surprise, _::That is exactly what the young Fire maker said today. He was not one of them. And he threw off his horned hat. He really did try to be kind to me. He let me know he was a friend. I wanted to believe him, but the red bearded alpha male got mad and hit his hammer and I got scared and attacked.::_

_::I am not from this region:: _I said, willing myself to stand up, though I was shaking with tiredness and pain, _::I grew up knowing that Firemakers are not evil. I have seen Firemakers who think we carry messages to the gods and treat us like divine spirits.::_

General purring from the cages.

_::I've also seen Firemakers who see us as brave warriors that they want to imitate. They organize entire armies based on our strength and power. They see us as brothers in arms and honor our strength, and they are honored to know us as friends. It's only in this area that we People are hated. And I really think that the creature… the one who calls herself a Lady… is the one who has caused this.::_

More roaring.

_::Somewhere it has to end. Most likely this Viking chief will try to fight her and get destroyed and she will come and destroy all humans on this island.:: _I said sadly.

_::I don't know about you, my Brethren, but if the Lady attacks us, I do not want to go down trapped in this cage without a chance to strike a blow:: _the Lava Person said, _::Young Lightning Person… I know you hate to be called that now, but I don't know your actual name…::_

_::It's Toothless::_ I said. _::And, yes, it's a Fire maker name. But there is no name I am prouder to carry.::_

More grumbles from the cages, but maybe with a bit more admiration.

_::Well, then, Toothless. If there is a chance to fight back, then I will be at your side. If we can get out of these cursed cages.::_

I was touched by that_ ::Thank you, sir. The only way I know, though, is to bond with the Firemakers. It's really in their hands. If they get it in their heads to let you out of your cages and take on the Lady, would you be willing to let one of them ride you, to even bond with them as a Rider?::_

_::What's to gain?:: _The Magnesium person asked warily.

I sighed in a memory of what I had now lost, my ear sensors and cheek sensors drooping in sorrow _::We complement each other. I know it from my Rider. We are friends. We work as a team. We People can provide the speed and firepower, but they have the intelligence and the way to solve problems we do not. And, with a Firemaker on your back, the Lady cannot control you with her mind.::_

_::That might work for your Rider:: _the Two Head said, _::But not all Firemakers are like that.::_

_::True::_I said and forced my sensors to stand up to show my determination _:: But there are many who are. You have to take the chance. Certainly, thanks to my Rider you can see there is someone who is willing to teach the others the right way to work with you.::_

They all agreed with that. All of them had been touched in some way by Hiccup's kindness. And, it turns out, the other younglings had started to pick up on Hiccup's actions. I heard that this current group of trainees had started to try some things like petting dragons, whispering to them, feeding them fish. They just did it when the teacher was not watching.

So there was hope after all. We just had to hope someone would free the People form their cages.

I knew my Rider was a lost cause. He was so shocked from his outlawing he would not listen to me. That made me wonder if we should be working instead of convincing Ástríður to free the People- or, better yet, to somehow shake Hiccup out of shock so he would teach the other younglings how to bond with the People.

It was all out of my paws, sadly. My time on this planet was winding down. I just had to hope these others would step in continue the struggle after I died during the attack on the Lady's lair.

* * *

Morning came, and it was a disgustingly beautiful one, too. The ships were about ready to go.

I awakened, sore in my muscles, and aching around my shoulders and chest where the saddle had dug in during my attempts to touch Hiccup's hand last night. (Did that really happen? Or was I dreaming? Am I now senile at 17 years old?)

The Irish drudge with the unbound blond hair came again with more fish gruel to dump in my bowl. I noticed she walked straighter than she had last night, and she came right up to my barricade, pouring the gruel into my bowl with a newfound confidence.

She pushed it under the barricade to me with her hands instead of her feet. The wind picked up her curly blond and blew it away from her ash smeared face.

Nope. This was not the drudge from last night. There had been a change in staff.

Somehow Ástríður had managed to swap places.

I crooned in surprise as she met my gaze.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she took in my appearance. I must have looked the sight with garbage remains and dried blood stains.

Then I noticed she was staring at a particular blood stained hand print on my shoulder.

"No one keeps the son of Lightning and Death chained up like a midden heap mutt," she whispered, "And no one throws my friend out in the wilderness to die because he stood up for what was right."

"Yo, Brigid! Can you finish feeding the beast sometime before the next Millenium? We have an invasion to go on, you know!" the guard's voice cut down to us from his post outside the Kill Ring.

Ástríður looked back at him and simpered (I could feel her irritation at having to play this kind of role), "Wht's it to ye now, Bashnose. I was just lookin' at the big pussycat. Sure, and he's a creepy lookin' lizard, he is!"

She actually did a pretty good impression of a Gaelic accent.

The guard snorted and turned away.

Ástríður wiped a hand across her face, cleaning away most of the soot. She pulled a leather cord wrapped around her arm and quickly wove her thick, beautiful blond hair back into its trademark braid, tying it with the leather cord. She pulled the drudge's cloak hood over her head, hiding her face.

The gaze she gave me was the feirce blue of glacier ice. When she braided back her hair and became Ástríður again, I knew she had made a decision of some sort. She nodded at me.

And, to my surprise, I nodded back at her.

I watched as she slipped past the guard, who seemed to have bought the whole act. She walked with a particularly flirty wiggle to her stride, and the guard whistled at her.

I looked at the bowl of fish gruel. I was not hungry- actually even upset to the stomach, but I choked it down. This might be my last day of my life, but I wanted to go down fighting, so I needed my strength.

As I finished, a group of Vikings came into the Kill Ring, carrying a strange sort of wooden platform. As I stood up from my breakfast, someone threw a small hammer at me.

It hit me on the side of the face, knocking me on my side. Stunned, I could only lie there as the Viking Firemakers wrestled me (surprisingly gently) onto my feet and then onto that platform. They chained me in place there.

They pulled the leather band off my muzzle and put something stronger on my muzzle. And then they fastened a heavy brace around my shoulders and chest, locking me firmly into that platform.

This was scary for me. I hated being out of control. I am embarrassed to say I dissolved into terror. As I was lifted by some sort of strange rope contraption that lifted my platform onto a ship, I screamed in terror. I lunged against my prison, I shrieked, I struggled.

No one seemed to care that I was so frightened. Hiccup would have put his hand on my forehead and sung or whispered to me until I was calm and ready to step on board the boat. These Vikings just let me scream in terror until my voice went hoarse.

Then I was placed on board one of those boats, My stomach rose up to my throat at the sickening heaving and pitching. There was no such thing as ground anymore, and without Hiccup the sky was beyond my reach.

It was also humiliating to see the crowd who wished us off. Just like that mother lynx had done to me on the day I had been brought down in the vine trap, I saw Firemaker mothers and grandmothers pointing me out to their offspring, telling them the evil Nightfurygetdown was getting its just punishment.

Worst of all was, if I could twist against my prison and look over my shoulder (as much as the bindings would allow) to one of the bridges leading from the village into the forest, I could see a small figure leaning against the guardrail, a scratched, tattered, barefoot and muddy figure.

I wanted to mind link with him, but I would do not do him any favors for that. It would just prolong the inevitable. He could stay there on that bridge and let himself die of misery or get shot down by some bounty hunter.

Or, if he had any smarts he would walk over that bridge and into the forest and start a new life for himself

So, though I hated myself for it, I closed my mind against his.

It was for his own good. (I tried to convince myself of that, anyway).

I was on the same boat with Hiccup's father. (Does the fun never end?).

As his crew untied the boat to start our voyage to death and destruction, complete with a side of fire roasted Nightfurygetdown, Stoick looked up and saw his son.

I saw a moment of sorrow pass across his eyes, but then he, like me, turned away and yelled to his crew

"We sail to Hellheimsgate!"

As he passed by me, he speared me with an angry green gaze.

"Lead us home… devil."

I would not dignify that remark with a snarling, As the boats took off I just let my head drop.

Thankfully the Vikings were too busy adjusting the rigging and sailing out of the harbor to notice that I was sobbing quietly, my tears staining the deck.


	13. Fireday

**Chapter 13: Fireday**

And here is where it all comes to a resolution... another loooong chapter. I updated this, on the suggestion of the good Marmalada, that I add something to the chapter more my own. So I did- and Toothless has a dream (or is it a dream) on the way to the Dragon Island. I wanted this to be a new chapter but fanfic will not allow it, so it goes onto Chapter 13 and makes a superlong chapter. I hope it's okay with you all

* * *

**Disclaimers: **The usual ones apply. I wish I was friends with a dragon, but I am not. Yet. And, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

The poem in the chapter (translated into English) is actually by Halldór Laxnes, a 20th century Icelandic author and Nobel Literature prize winner.

_"There comes a time in the life of (everyone) when he or she must decide to risk 'his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor' on an outcome dubious. Those who fail the challenge are merely overgrown children, can never be anything else"._- R. A. Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land)

Once I recovered my composure and the boats were out into the open seas, I raised my head and glared at Stoick.

_::Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.::_

If he thought I was bad, then wait until he met the Lady. She'd make me look like a gentle dragon kitten overdosed on Sky Grass. He did not seem to give me much notice after that, just clumped to the other side of the wooden pseudo floor that these Vikings call a "deck". I discovered I hated being in a boat. The pitching of the solid-seeming wooden floor made my stomach queasy. I was only grateful it was not bad enough that I needed to vomit. Not a pleasant prospect when one is wearing a muzzle.

The worst torture was the sky seemed so close to me, yet I could only stare up at it helplessly, envying the sea mews and gannets who circled overhead.

It seems these boats were powered by the wind, using large hides that caught the breezes. The wind-hides had been painted with more of those utterly enchanting depictions of my People dying horrible deaths at the hands of Firemakers. And, if the Lady had her way, there will be many, many more of those lovely depictions to come in the near future! All over the continent, and beyond!

Various Firemakers moved around the ship, checking weapons, adjusting rigging. There was a solemn silence to their movements. It was eerie how quiet these Vikings were, but they had no idea how serious of a situation they were heading into.

Many of the Firemaker men and women would look my way. Some had fear in their eyes. Some had anger, maybe remembering the loss of a loved one at a Person's hands. Some, like Hiccup's blacksmith mentor, even had a look of fascination.

Most, to my surprise, looked at me sadly. I think they were as sick of this war as I was, but this was the only life they had known. So, here we all were, sailing off to die together! What joy!

Even the boat itself sounded like it was mourning with its low creaking sound.

The blacksmith had stationed himself near me and was looking over the ocean. The winds were strong, and we were making very good crossed his powerful arms and pretended not to notice me.

I returned the favor (though I admit it was not possible for me to cross my arms. Slight problem with biology, there.).

I lowered my head a bit to try and diminish the queasy feeling I got in my stomach from the pitching and rolling. I would seem to move up, then balance to the left or right and then plunge back down. It was a bit like what I experienced when I tried to fly out of the canyon after being shot down. But, since I was chained to a block of wood, it was not half as much "fun."

This made me think of Hiccup and how we had slowly come to trust each other and to work as partners. It had wound up being an all-too-brief partnership, but we had proved that a Person and a Firemaker could work together to accomplish something neither of us could have done alone. And, with him, I had flown higher and faster than I ever had in my life. And, better yet, I had finally gained a friend to share those experiences of flight. Well, I would never experience that again, either of flying into the sunset, or of enjoying life with my best friend- my, wonderful, poor, banished, "dead-man-walking" Rider. At least I had the comfort of knowing it would soon all be over. For , sadly for him.

_Damn. I really hate myself. And I deserve it! Hiccup? I should never have used you and bonded with you. Can you ever forgive me? _

We must have hit a particularly high wave, for the boat reared up at an angle that shifted my platform back until the chains groaned. Then the wave dropped with a hissing sound. The boat stayed in the air for a moment and then plunged back down, smacking against the sea with a deep bellow. My crop and stomach seemed to leap into my mouth, and I choked back a roar of shock. The rest of me smarted with pain from the impact of the crash back into the sea. Water splashed across the deck, leaving trails of sea foam and weeds.

The blacksmith did not even seem to have been phased out. His one foot and prosthetic clung to deck somehow, so he had just followed the rolling of the ship.

He even yawned, I swear, with boredom. I, the sky bound creature, was the clumsy one, and I had all my legs.

"Takes a while to get yer sea legs on ye, dragon," he told me, "Or, in my case, sea leg. Just grit those pearly whites of yours fer a bit longer. Soon we'll be there, and it'll all be over."

_::Right, you are, Firemaker for Firemakers.:: _I told him with venom, snorting through my heavy leather muzzle.

His clear blue eyes seemed filled with sadness as he looked towards the sea line at the horizon.

"I saw the boy when we sailed out of the harbor, " he told me." Since he was a baby, I've said more prayers to the gods than I can remember to protect him, but most of 'em were in the last few hours.

" Just a few weeks ago, I was tellin' all the kids in the dragon training, the _Saga of Gísli Súrsson, _the most famous Viking outlaw. That poor bloke was on the run for thirteen years in Iceland before he was killed in a feud, his wife fightin´by his side.

"Of course, Hiccup, being the nosy one, has to ask how you could survive as an outlaw. I told 'em most wound up going to Iceland and most sought out places with hot springs. In Iceland ya have a goat's bleat chance of survival- more so than the other parts of the Viking world. So, ya find a place with hot springs. There ya could boil food and stay warm. But yer new outlaw digs gotta be hot springs in the highlands, the middle of the country where no one lives except for ghosts and demons."

He snorted a laugh, "Stupid me. What'm I doin', talkin' to a dumb beast anyway, like it understands me?"

_Oh, the irony. I was just thinking the same thing about you... _I snarled my displeasure at his observations and shrunk my eye pupils to the Super Creepy Mode.

"Ah, stop yer growlin', ya black beast." He slouched back against the rail a bit more, "I came here ta get away from the grumblin' from the others on board. Figured it would be quieter." His blue eyes gazed levelly at me, "Don´t prove me wrong. Ya leave me alone, and I´ll leave ya alone. D´we have an understandin'?"

I just stared back at the Firemaking-Firemaker noncommittally, and growled a low rumbling growl.

"I'll take that as a 'yes','" he growled right back to me, "And, no doubt, accented with some colorful naughty words in whatever gibberish you beasties speak."

The boat plunged again. This time more rigidly than before.I let out a bark of surprised pain as the landing knocked the air from my sick to my stomach, I dropped my head and forced myself to breathe. My legs were now trembling from the impact. I felt so tired and dizzy, so out of my element….

Then a reassuing warmth as a calloused Firemaker hand touched my head, Gentle fingers scratched between my middle ear sensors, just where the memory stone is lodged in my touch was very much like what Hiccup would have done: gentle, kind, brotherly. I should have snapped at the Firemaking-Firemaker, but instead I sighed as his strong but compassionate fingers sent warmth through my exhausted body.

Against my wishes, a little sob-like moan came from my throat. After all this rough treatment for two days… this gentle head touch was like rain in a desert. He scratched me harder, reassuring me, "Svona, svona. Ya miss yer boy, don't ye? I do, too. He must really have cared somethin' special about ye, Fury, to take the risks he did. And ye cared for him, too. I saw how ye stood up for him in the Kill Ring against the Monstrous Nightmare- and how ya listened to him when he asked ya not t'hurt his father."

The smith sighed sadly drew his hand up across the top of my head, splaying fingers across my face. I found it comforting, and surprising that this fierce looking man would have such a warm soul, "I never would ha' guessed ye beasties were capable of loyalty, and even of love, among your own kind, let alone for a human child. Makes me wonder what else we might have learned about ya, if times were more peaceful," the Firemaking-Firemaker told me, lifting his hand from my head.

He let himself drop onto a barrel not far from my chained platform and gazed again out at the sea.

I felt a torpid exhaustion settle on me. I had not slept last night, and not very well the night before, when I had been protecting Hiccup from his sleep demons.

_Oh, Hiccup. I miss you. I hope some small part of you listens to that warning I gave you..._

Head still dropped, I closed my eyes, trying to imagine myself into thinking the pitching of the deck beneath me was really the soaring stream of the wind that I feel when I totally did not work. However, the waves had an oddly monotonous rhythm. They boomed softly against the side of the boat in a way that lulled me into relaxing more.

My head dropped a bit lower, and suddenly there was a clinking nose was now touching the base of the platform, as my neck had somehow been released from its chain bindings. The chains were now lying scattered and broken at my feet now like rust-flecked serpents.

_What in the name of the Sky Lady?_

I shrugged my aching, itching shoulders, and there was a crack as the wooden binding that secured my shoulders came loose. Suppressing a rather embarrassing chirrup of delight, I leapt off the barricade and shook my head hard.

The leather muzzle flew off my face and over the rail, splashing into the sea with a foamy explosion.

I only had the saddle and harness on me! And I could get away from this death trap, rescue Hiccup, free the other People and see about getting the remaining humans to hide from the Lady's wrath. Just another pleasant way to spend a fall afternoon!

Logic somewhere knocked on my brain, and I realized this just was a dream, but I decided to go with it. I had nothing better to do until we reached the island. I knew that dreams are usually a way we People try to make sense of what is going on- as if anything would make sense in this sad situation.

Well, let's dream on and see what happens.

I flung my wings up, shaking off a remaining set of chains and stretched them out, giving a quick check to make sure my real wings and the leather tailfin were all in place.

None of the Vikings seemed to notice I was escaping.

_::So, long! It's been real! It's been fun! It just has not been real fu- ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! No!::_

I had forgotten one essential piece of equipment. My Rider. I flipped onto my back and hit the water with a nasty smack, sinking right down into clear, cold North Atlantic sea.

Snarling in anger, I plunged both sets of wings down and pushed my way to the surface, breaking up through the water into cold, clear air. I shook my head, my sensors slapping against each other and my head and neck. Water drops flashed like diamonds against the sun. Some of it landed on my forked tongue, tasting of deep brine and dying fish.

I roared in anger _::This is a dream, scorch it! Can't I at least be able to fly normally?::_

Strangely enough, no ship was in front of me. I was alone in the water.

I shook my head again to clear my sensors, and then I could pick up the sound of waves butting against a rock surface. I paddled towards the sound, my feet churning up bubbles in the water. I don't know how long I paddled, but my front claws did eventually hit land. I gripped the rocky surface and forced my body up and onto it.

As I did, I felt something/someone grab the riding harness in his/her dragon teeth, helping to pull me ashore.

Suddenly it let go of me as my knees collapsed, and I found myself lying on a beach of black lava stones. I sighed and closed my eyes in tiredness.

Somehow I had wound up on the Lady's Island, and, better, before the Vikings had gotten here to invade it.

Then I felt a warm, nicely-slimy feeling as something scraped across my face, around my neck, over my chest: something soft and warm but also a bit like sandpaper.

It was a dragon's tongue.

The scent of the saliva was familiar: cool breezes, fresh, clean-smelling fish from mountain lakes, the sulfur scent of lightning dancing in the mountains, the sweet chill and clear blue of glaciers. And, faint under it all, the scents of sandalwood and rosemary of the incense that perfumed the prayer flags placed near offerings of fish for us on granite stairs.

I looked up and- to my complete surprise- into the eyes of my mother. She was so lovely, the sun bringing out the sleek blue-grey-black of her hide and the deeper patterns of the stripes and spots, so much like my own.

_::I'm here, son. The nightmare is over. We're going home.::_ her tongue cleaned the the jagged cuts I'd gotten trying to reach out to Hiccup.

I dropped my head to the shoreline in exhausted relief, my eyes stinging with salt from the ocean. I let her clean the scent of the North Atlantic from me. I started purring in relief, feeling like she was as pulling me back into sanity again.

Home. Back to where everything makes sense. Finally.

_::You do know everything that's happened to you, up until now, was just all a nightmare:: _my mother told me, lapping her loving tongue around my face, cleaning dried tear tracks from my face. (I now knew this had to be a dream. I had been thrown into the water. How could I still have dried tear salt on my face? )

_:: All a bad dream, son. But you'll be back home, soon. You'll wake up and all will be fine. And you'll have no crippled tail fin::_

I sighed in tiredness _::Yes, and, with all due respect, Mother, this is just- well- a piece of crap. You want me to believe everything I've experience up to now was just a dream- but I know this is the dream! It's too good to be true. Besides, take a look at this!::_

I lifted my head and rolled onto my left side, exposing my right shoulder. There was Hiccup's bloody handprint, still as bright as ever in spite of me being thrown into the water. As a matter of fact, it was wet as if it had just been pressed in my shoulder again.

I lurched to my feet and shook myself, the harness itching me.

I heard my mother snort behind me in disgust _::Okay, point to you, son. You are in a dream. However, you're still wearing that ludicrous pack pony harness? Why don't you try and tear it off? It's quite battered and ragged looking, so shouldn't be hard. No Lightning Person should submit to wearing such a demeaning sign of slavery.::_

I looked back at her and shook my head, _::No, thanks, Mom. I admit, I don't like how it feels, but someone I care about put it on me. It's the last memory I have of him. I'll keep on me for a while longer.::_

My mother growled behind me, :_:So melodramatic, son. It does not flatter you. Nor does that harness.::_

_::Deal with it, dear maternal unit.::_ I was on my feet and bounding up the hill towards the main part of the Lady's Island _::I have an awfully hard head, you know. I'm sure I inherited all the stubbornness in the family. And, I believe, most of that came from your side!.::_

_::To my eternal irritation!:: _she followed behind me. Her steps were so quiet against the jingling the leg bands and wrist straps of the harness. _::I knew when I saw you dig your little claws in and refuse to come out of the den for the first time until I made that bright light shining in the sky go away, that I was being paid back for everything I ever to did my mother. And I was the champion of stubborn of my generation.::_

We walked together along the beach, sharp black stones skittering from underneath our claws, mother and son. My pace matched hers, stride for stride. It felt so right.

And so wrong.

Then a strange thought nibbled at my mind. _::I thought the North Atlantic Signalers took out my connection with our People. That includes most of my childhood memories. I can remember how you looked, but not specific day to day memories, or emotions. How is I can remember things now so well? ::I couldn't bring up a single memory of my childhood an hour ago- now, it's as though I never lost my connection!::_

She laughed, a deep ironic chuckle that soothed me and filled me with love.

_::Well, maybe that whole memory loss thing was just an illusion. The Signalers tell you that you are cut off from memories, and they convince you of it with their oh-so-wondrous mental powers. But, son, what if it is just the power of persuasion? They push you into believing it is gone and- -bam, insert a bright flash of light and sulfur smoke- and ooh, guess what? Your connection's gone! You were traumatized, hurt, bullied, in no state of mind to resist them. They had to put you in a weakened position where you would mentally convince yourself you were cut off. And then you physically started acting like you were cut off.::_

She leaned in and swiped a loving lick up my right shoulder and neck, and the bloody handprint of my Rider disappeared ::..._ So, let's say it never really was sealed off. You just believed it was.::_

She purred gently, _::By the Sky Lady's wings , but you've grown! You're taller than I am now!::_

I touched noses with her affectionately. _::Can't help it, Mom. Growth happens. ::_

Our feet crunched through bits of lava stones and burnt materials as we climbed up a hill, heading towards the volcanic cone of the Lady's Island but what awaited us at the top of the hill was not what I expected.

There was no volcanic cone and no Nest. My mother and I stood on a cliff overlooking the sea. All around us was a landscape of grey and black, covered with crumbly black wood ash that flowed softly across our paws. I picked up scents of burnt ash, oak, yew, birch. And also scents of wool, cattle, horses, dogs, cats...and Firemaker. Far back in the distance I could see the burnt out remnants of a forest, tree corpses lined against a cloudy sky. Ravens soared overhead. Strange- none of these things exist on the Lady's Island.

_::Who said this was the Lady's Island?::_ My mother asked me gently, as if she had read my mind, _::Look again, kiddo.::_

I drew into the memory stone for reference and suddenly realized there was a pattern under this ash. The coordinates lined themselves in my mind, patterns of a ring of houses surrounding a much larger building. It was the remnants of a Viking village. Mother and I were standing on the remains of what had once been a blacksmith's forge, my paws atop a surface made of iron that had melted into a puddle and then hardened into a "carpet" of slag. Ashes were dusted across its surface

I lowered my head and snorted. The black cloud of ashes drifted upwards, but my breath had also freed a piece of vellum that has somehow not burned,

It depicted a diagram that exactly matched my artificial tail fin. The wind picked it up and sent it drifting, up and over the cliffs, blowing away over the sea.

_::This. Was. Birch Island.:: _I thought-sent to my mother_::It all turned out as I had predicted. She did come here and destroy everything...::_

My mother gently nipped my neck_:: Not just here. All the Isles on the Edge of the World. Your entire Sector. It was said she rained a curtain of fire over all the islands, and People living as far as Greenland could smell the smoke and see the rim of fire on the horizon.::_

I shuddered at the villages, the beaches, the forests of this beautiful chain of islands that now were a wasteland.

_:: But you were right, son. :: _my mother said, tossing her head, _:: That's all that matters. They brought this on themselves.::_

I groaned softly as we trod past ashen remains of houses, stables, and the defeated remains of the Mead Hall. True, I had been angry at how the Viking warriors had treated me and Hiccup.

But there had also been the grandmothers telling stories to scare away the trolls under the bed, and little girls wanting to be like their mother. There were little boys dreaming of the white horses who pulled the Moon's chariot. And a gentle, bread making housewife praying for her husband to come back home again from his sea voyage. And, the old man mourning the death of his childhood sweetheart who had passed on before him, after all those years together. And the young lady, knitting her love into the cloak for her lover on his first dragon hunting mission.

None of them had pinned me down in the Kill Ring , and none of them had mocked me when I was trapped there. The Lady had extinguished their life's flame as fast as she had those of the others.

_::It's NOT your fault!::_ my mother told me, _:: The Lady did as She had to do. They just happened to be in the way.::_

I took a hard look at my mother. Rough times had changed her as well. I would not have remembered her talking this way when I was younger. She had always drilled in the need to show compassion to those who were not as strong as I was.

_::You're right:: _Mother told me, ear sensors standing up, like she had read my mind again _:: I am less willing to care about others than I used to be. But, you know, it has been hard to be a Person lately. The Firemakers hate us even more than ever. It's even rumored among them that 'dragons' are so rare now we are considered mythical beasts. It's even come into the mountains where we live. There is a law that forbids priests to leave fish for us, now. But that's how it is. Things always must change as the times change.::_

She shook her head we padded over the remains of a Firemaker's game board- hnétafl, Hiccup has called it. A tiny burnt ivory carving of the god Þór and his chariot pulled by two he-goats had somehow fallen so it was galloping across the scorched game board. It seemed like the god was trying to escape a fiery fate and had not made it in time.

_::Don't mourn them::_ my mother said softly, as if she were selecting flowers to display in our cave,_ :: This had to happen. The Firemakers had to go away.::_

I looked at her and snorted. Did she realize how illogical that sounded? Why was it "effective" for the Lady to completely obliterate all the life on these beautiful islands including those of the very People who fed her- just to destroy one village of Firemakers?

That brought up another question, _::Mom, what happened to my sisters?::_

She looked solemnly back at me with beautiful amber eyes that complemented her blue-black hide perfectly.

_::Ah, your sisters. Well, they took some wrong steps, The Sky Lady Bless them. They're flying with Her now. I had warned them to be careful, but it is so hard to always watch your step where Firemakers are concerned._

She shuddered in sad memories and dropped her head, crooning sadly, _:: Your oldest sister died first, at an Armenian dragon slayer's hand- and he rode a white horse, too, damn it! Then your next oldest was lured by the flute of a Mongolian Firemaker who took her hide and head. She should have known better, but she was ever a thrall to flute music. And then your baby sister- little Fate- she died a slow death of poison when an adorable Firemaker child gave her a salmon- but one her parents laced with poison. It was the sweetest and saddest trap Firemakers could have used to kill your baby sister.::_

No...! She, little F…F…Fate. My fate and my shadow.

_::She was your favorite, son. I remember how she'd pounce on you, trying to nibble your tail fins. It was strange how you were the most cynical and she was the most trusting. I think it was that difference that made you two such good friends::_

(Some little nagging voice made me wonder for a moment why my mother only mentioned Fate's name. Not the names of my other sisters. And, she had not used my birth name at all so far).

_Little sister, how I wish I had been there to protect you. But then, again, a young Firemaker was also my downfall. The difference is, he was punished for it as much as I was._

_::It's not your fault!:: _my mother was quick (too quick?) to assure me of this. _::It is how things had to be. The Lady knew this, but she had to weight this out. Sometimes, in the process, we lose those we love. But death must happen for new life to continue.:: _

I looked back in sorrow, beginning to find this litany about the Lady somewhat odd.

My mother crooned, licking me again in loving reassurance _:: Things have to change, one generation and species has to pass on the sparks of fire to another when its own flame starts to fade. Otherwise, life grows stagnant and dies. We People have dominated the world for so long. Like the dinosaurs of old, we've become too great and unwieldy to continue as we are. The world has changed around us, though we have not. Now we should step back and let a new, more vibrant People step into the light. Until their time also comes. As it does for everyone. ::_

I curled my lip. And what new and vibrant People would that be? I would bet a pond full of Arctic char that it would involve creatures with six eyes, spiky tails, wolf/viper heads and a rather- maybe too- charismatic personality.

_::You do know , son not everyone on this Birch Island died. One did survive. Let me show you.::_

She licked me again and then grabbed my neck collar (the one where Hiccup had designed his hand hold and the wrist straps) in her teeth. Then she let go of it and spat. _::Disgusting things these overgrown monkeys make! Well, this is a dream, so anything can happen. If I need it, I will find it.::_

She trotted off, and I watched her poking around the ash heaps before she grabbed something in her mouth and pulled something up from the dirt. She shook her head, releasing a cloud of ashes around her head like a weird she came trotting back, a very unwholesome looking remains of a sheep's hide- wool still attached- dangling from her jaws.

My eyes widened in disgust, _::Mother! Oh, no, you don't…::_

_::It's just wool and it's not been handled by a Firemaker. The sheep must have been roaming loose in the hills when the Lady attacked and did not get destroyed right away. Probably ran back here seeking shelter and got trapped among the ruins. They don't have the best minds for getting out of trouble. Sucks to be a sheep, doesn't it? Believe me- it has to taste better than that harness does. Blargh!::_

_::But you had to grab the harness to pull me out of the water::_ I said, annoyed, as she used her muzzle and a paw to stuff in and around the neck harness, creating a mouth hold for her to grip.

_::Let me assure you,child, it was not too pleasant, but it was only for a few moments. This will take longer. All right, Here we go! Hang on, son!::_

And suddenly she launched in the air, dragging me with her. I bunched up my shoulder and thigh muscles and launched after her, aligning my body with hers.

We both flew over the dark waters, our wings beating in the air in a pulsing rhythm.

My mother balanced me against her shoulder, so that I could fly alongside her. When she needed to adjust direction, she leaned, and then I leaned as well. In a way, she had become my Rider .

I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly we swooped down through a bank of clouds, heading into a broad, black sand lava plain ringed on two sides by sooty-white glaciers. There was an odd "oasis" of anemic grass growing sparsely among mossy lava stones, as well as a bed of multicolored cones of sulfur, white steam jetting from their tips.

Our claws crunched on lava stones as we padded into this strange world of fire and air was coated in a scent of sulfur, as though Viking Firemaker god Hel had hung her bed linens out to dry. I sneezed from the strange smell.

Then I shook my shoulders, letting the sheepskin stuffing my mother had used fall to the ground. White steam, gray and black glaciers, black sand and gray stones… monotones that blended into a cloudy gray sky. The only region of color was a blue-green hot natural pool formed where hot springs had trickled into a depression in the earth. Moss and algae rimmed the yellowish-gray stones around the natural hot pond.

_::Hveravellir- the Plains of Steam- Outlaw Paradise:: _my mother's voice sounded in my ear sensor.

True, the land had its cruel beauty, but it was a trifle too cruel for me.

My mother and I were now walking along dull, ferrous-colored earth near a steam-plumed cone- a fumerole, my sensors told me. Even though it was cold in this barren place, the warmth of the earth around here was toasty and comfortable.

And then I saw the Firemaker limping towards the hot pool that was in the middle of this was a male, obvious from the mangy, sparse beard on his face- it was the beard of a young man. He wore a patchwork collection of poorly tanned animal hides stitched and tied into the faded, shredded remains of what might once have been a green tunic. His leggings looked like something he'd taken from a larger man, just cut down to his size and tied onto his bony frame with a rope belt.

He wore no proper boots on his feet, rather a homemade affair made of wrapping large swathes of leather and cloth and fur around his feet and tying them together with leather bindings.

His loose hair, long and tangled, fell over his shoulders straggled down his back, so knotted it was hard to tell its real length. Young, though he was, his greasy, mud-colored hair was already starting to get large strands of grey in it. His experiences here were aging him past his natural years.

What was most disturbing to me, though, was that he was talking quietly to himself. His words were spoken too quietly for me to understand, and they came out in a voice very hoarse and broken as though his throat and larynx had been damaged. It was awkward and humiliating to watch this dramatic, full- blown two – or even three- sided discussion conducted by just one person. He would state a point, then contradict himself, then get in an argument with himself and then refuse to talk to himself until he finally worked things out in a satisfying compromise with himself. (He even crossed his arms and refused to talk to himself until he was ready to listen to himself). Then he would throw in colorful hand and body gestures to distinguish who was the one doing the arguing, making it more tragically absurd to watch.

Worst of all was in he used a finger to draw a schematic diagram to explain some scientific proof that he was trying to get the other parts of his personality to accept. I should be happy that they all accepted the arguments after a proper debate, but it just made me drop my head and moan in sorrow. It sounds funny to hear me describe this poor young man's madness, I know, but when you actually are witness to a homeless, mind-shattered soul being his own best friend, I can assure you- you'll find it both disturbs you and cuts you to the soul. There's nothing remotely funny about it.

Especially, as I realized, if you happened to know this crazy homeless person in happier days, when he had been sane.

The insane human balanced himself on his walking stick and stiffly knelt down, then used his walking stick to poke a boiling bladder-sack out of the hot spring.

The smell that came from it was of very inferior mutton. No flavors or scents of spice and herb- this was survival food. I curled my lip when I realized he probably had scavenged it from the carcass of a dead sheep.

He dropped the boiled meat sack on the ground and raised his face up, a wary look on it as though he were looking out for dangerous predators of the Firemaker variety. He swept his long hair from his eyes, and I could see his face for the first time.

He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, but it is hard to say, since there were already deep lines of stress around his eyes, forehead and mouth, making him look much older than he probably was. His face was bone thin (only a scarecrow could love it!) and marked with scabs of malnutrition. I also saw several old scars from what had to have been dagger fights, including an old scar that had been stitched across his throat. That's why his voice was now so hoarse.

His eyes were sunken deep in shadowed sockets, and they stared with a wildness that actually spooked me, and I am the wildest of wild creatures.

_:: There you go, son. Your Rider. Or what's left of him. :: _She gave me a toothless grin as I took in a gasp of something that mingled between hope and despair.

My mother's soothing thoughts stroked in my mind _::Actually, he's a clever fellow. Somehow he made it here to Iceland, and he's now living on the outlaw's field. He's been waiting there for you. Why don't you go say 'hello?' As you can see, it's been a while. He might be happy to see you.: _

He was overjoyed, it turned overjoyed that, when I carefully walked to where he was crouched near the pool, and he looked at me, his eyes radiated something akin to how I feel when a bunch of fish get trapped in a tidal pool. (Just a hint: that's not a nice look if you happen to be one of the fish.)

He stood up, and I saw he had grown in height, but not as much as I would have expected for his age, mostly because he was now hunched at the shoulders and bent in the legs. A poor diet will do that to you Even though he lived near a hot spring, I could no longer smell his own natural, gently earthy smell under the heavier, very unpleasant odor of fear-sweat, dried blood (not his own, I must add) and volcanic ash. It occurred to me when you're always looking over your shoulder, even something as simple as taking a bath becomes something you're only able to do on rare occasions. And it was no surprise when my sensors picked up he was riddled with scars from flea and louse bites.

He gave me a very feral grin, and I saw the familiar prominent front teeth, though one of them had now been broken in half. He was also missing a few other teeth.

He said something quietly in his broken voice, and my sensors picked it up as "Loksins! Þú!"

Wait a minute? Wasn't I supposed to understand his language now since we bonded? But, then again, things had changed between us. His mind had changed, and changed beyond the ability of my sensors to adjust to his thoughts. He'd slid down a slippery slope into that place where the sun just don't shine.

Years of living as a fugitive, always hungry, always cold, always alone… His sensitive, gentle, beautiful, scientist's mind had been broken and bent, pushed out of whack by having to live like an animal in the wilderness, totally deprived of any contact or friendship with anyone. He'd even lost the ability to hold a conversation except for his bizarre monologues with himself. I had a suspicion what he had just croaked to me was the first time he had spoken to anyone else in a long time.

He could no longer understand, or relate, to any living creature other than to kill it before it killed him. Could you blame him for feeling that way? I know I could not.

Yes, he had survived, but he'd lost himself along the way. If you want to call this surviving.

I stopped a good distance from him and decided to keep my teeth out to their longest and sharpest. The look in his eyes contained pure madness- and I don't mean the angry kind of mad. I mean the more dangerous kind of mad.

_::Hello. Firemaker. Hiccup? Do you remember me?::_ I asked, cautiously. I have to admit my throat was choked up by now seeing him in this state, though logically I knew my Hiccup was no longer there anymore.

He glanced at me with his wild, angry eyes- no longer capable of tears- , balancing himself so that I saw he was putting most of his weight on his left leg. His right leg was a crooked, as if it had been broken and reset poorly sometime in the past.

The feral man nodded at me."Auðvítað! Ék man eftir þér," My now man-grown Rider said calmly in his ruined voice, placing his blistered hands on his hips, just where the edge of an animal hide vest ended. It was not bear skin but some poorly tanned horse hide, probably sliced off of a dead horse he'd found in his journeyings.

Or worse, my mind told me, What was left when he attacked a merchant on horseback crossing through this place. It doesn´t take long to turn a scientist into a bandit, given the right conditions.

"Tannlaus, er það! Andskótt! Helvítis andskótt! Ék hef aldrei gleymt þér.", he snarled to me, yellow and black teeth bared in anger, "Vegna þín er ég hér. Það er þér að kenna, dreki!"

Whatever he said, it did not sound too friendly.I could not understand the words, but I could understand the anger behind it. Somehow I had become a symbol for why he had wound up here.

Well, as my mom said, he was now so happyto see me that I suddenly heard a SNIKT and saw he had drawn a none-too-friendly (or healthy) looking sword from under his cloak. He´d somehow decided his key to personal happiness was to rid the world of me.

"Það er þér að kenna, Tannlaus! Farðu frá! Djöfull!"

He rushed at me, as much as he could on his damaged legs, sword held high over his head, ready to slash at me. Like he had told me over a campfire what seems like an eon ago, he knew he´d be good with the short sword, bow or dagger, given the chance. And he was right.

I shot up into the air just as the sword slashed across the spot where I had just been. I quickly backwinged and landed before my tailfin would throw me off balance and held my ground as he ran at me again, sword again held at the ready. This time I was prepared.

_Time for some Toothless-Hiccup slash. Literally. _

As he slashed down to open up a fatal wound on my neck, I brought a front paw up, claws distended, ready to slash open his own abdomen.

_::HOLD!::_ my mother´s voice cut into this charming morality play.

Both of us froze within seconds of striking each other, his leather bandaged bare feet and my claws throwing up showers of ash and stone.I had a funny thought that our position was now a parody of when we had first met each other. Then, we each had been given the chance to kill the other, and we each had shown mercy. Now, we both had the same choice but were equally both attacker and victim.

I wanted him so badly to stretch a hand out and look away, as he had done so long ago, but I knew it would not happen. Too much pain and anger and loneliness had removed his faith in anyone.

So we just kept in our stalemate: a mad human in scavenged leathers and clothes locking gazes with a borderline mad Lighting Person wearing a tattered harness that same human had once made for him.

A few moments became many his arms and my outstretched paw began to tremble. Someone needed to act first. And fast.

I locked my gold flecked green eyes with my rider´s green-flecked gold eyes.

I thought I´d find no answers there other than the pure hatred for me that shone from them, but they still gave me an answer I needed desperately.

Then my mother was there, fluidly moving by my side and sitting by me, eyes taking in my trembling paw. _::It´s hard for you to see what happened to him, isn´t it?::_my mother asked, her eyes soft with sorrow, _::You can end this now, son. Prevent this fiture. Prevent him from going through all this agony. You have it in your power.::_

I growled at her to go on, eyes still trained on my former and now insane Rider.

_::: You still feel the bond from the Hiccup you know now, not this poor, mad shell of a Firemaker he will become. You´ll always have that bond till one of you dies. So, what you have to do, son, is to break that bond. Then you can go on with your life. And we´ll start it anew. Uninjured. Unbonded. _

_You're the only child I have left, son. Break the bond and come back with me to the Himalayas.::_

_::And how do I break it.?::_ I asked, my paw trembling even from being held in one position.

On the other side of me my former Rider's own arms were trembling, but the gaze in his eyes held all the gentleness of a rabid lynx.

:_:Easy. Send a surge of mental energy forward. Just summon your strength and you can do it. It will be strong enough to break the bond, and you will be all right.::_

I laced back my sensors _::"You" as in me and my Rider, I assume?::_

_::Well, the surge would free you by releasing energy pressure enough to give you the mental power to reject the bond.::_

I flicked my eyes at her for a moment and back at my Rider, still waiting to kill me.

_::And the energy release comes from my Rider? As in, the overload of sealed off energy kills him?::_

My mother shrugged honestly _::Well...yes. Slightly. But, it'll be quick- like a sudden aneurism. One burst of pain and then it's all over. Can't you see you'd be doing him a kindness? He's going to grow up into... this. Would you let an injured animal die a long and slow death? Of course not. Think how much more important it is to help your friend. He truly has nothing to live for at this point. He'd do the same for you.::_

_::Uh, yes... I see that right now, before me.:: _I said sarcastically, my eyes locked with the angry, murderous eyes of my former Rider's.

My mother cocked her head, _::It's all in your paws, son. You have the power to end all this and set things right. To start over again. And ending this bond is the first step:: she gave me a dragon grin, ::So what is your choice?::_

I lidded my eyes and tested the air with my sensors. Even in my dreams I could feel the bond betwen Hiccup and me. This part was real, and I felt a deep seated dread that I really could kill my Firemaker today if I released that bond. How weird. This is a dream, and yet some aspects of it are real, like this bond. That's strange... when is a dream not a dream?

I opened my eyes and locked them again with the feral human in front of me- gold/green meeting green/gold. _I looked into his eyes and I saw... myself._

And, suddenly, I knew.

:_:Did you know Firemakers are born with blue eyes?:: _I told my mother casually, _::Their eyes change color as they get older. My Firemaker had his adult coloration when I met him. And they are the same color as mine. I remember that absolutely::_

My mother purred soothingly, _::You ever were the nerd, son. But what does this have to do with the question I asked.::_

I purred soothingly back, _::Everything. You've convinced me-::_

_::Good...::_

_::- that you are a scorching, lying, deceptive... BITCH!:: _ I roared loudly,_ ::Or, should I say, Lady? In your case those terms are interchangeable!::_

My human yelled in anger and launched at me. I casually slashed my paw right at him, and it cut right through the air, passing through his ruined body like the hologram he was. He spun around and looked at me with the sad, grey-green eyes I remember, a clean shaven, shaggy haired teenager again... and then this form faded into the air, leaving only his limping footprints in the sandy soil. Heh. Strangest illusion I've ever seen.

Behind me my mother laughed, but her voice had become far more sensual, seductive and alluring than anything my mother would have done.

She would have considered it way beneath her dignity.

My "mother" now faded and shimmered into something else. She now spoke with the Lady's thought voice, though she remained a very beautiful Lightning Person. She looked very innocent and cute and sexy... and much, much closer to my age. And, I was horrified to see, too beautiful for me to think of ever trying to attack.

_::What you just said? That would be the wrong answer, young pet dragon to Firemakers:: _she purred, walking smoothly towards me, rolling her shoulders and hips in a very lovely way.

I stepped backwards, starting to tremble from an overpowering pull that she was starting to exert over me.

**(Yes, you will obey me, love. I am beautiful and kind and loving and yours to love. And I am yours for the asking- one simple price for it: you will just agree to do everything I want, okay, hero?)**

_:: Gah! No! No! You have no control over me yet. But I know it´s only a matter of time that you will pull me in Yes, I know- I am being set up for it. But, right now, you don´t. And, guess what?t No matter what you do to me when you pull me in, you DIDN´T MAKE ME SACRIFICE MY RIDER, DAMN IT!:: _

I turned my gaze away from her, still stepping backwards, keeping distance between us. I hated it, but I could myself trembling under her powerful influence. It took all my will not to fall to my knees in submission to her.

_::I don't know what you're doing, Lady, but it's a work of art. It's not quite dream, not quite real. My only guess is I'm not close enough for you to work your usual 'Obey me or die enthrallment act, so you're trying to convince me to do your will by making me think I have some choice in the matter. ::_

_::It would have been the easier choice to have cut the bond with your Firemaker:: _she said reasonably, lashing her tail quietly, _::And you do have to admit I had you going there about being your mother.::_

I snorted and raised a paw, ready to strike her, _::Yes, you did. But, maybe the only good thing about losing my connection with my People is that my memories are gone. You sure did try to reconstruct my past, but you got a few of the details, wrong. And that´s why I can turn you down, so-called Lady. _

_::I may not remember everything about my family, but I know how they looked and what they were named and where we grew up. That's not memory- that's imprinting. No dream of your can change that. ::_

She curled her lips into a draconic smile, _::Go on. I do like to know how to improve. It's not like you 'won' anything, anyway. As you´ll soon find out. You have not seen me at my most powerful.::_

I snarled at her and placed a paw on the ground, striking it for each observation I had made.

_:: Very well. Here goes, then, Lady... ::One- my mother is one of the few Lightning People who was Called to signal in my birth land. That meant she never changed colors. She was—is pewter with black spots and stripes. And her eyes are green-gold, not gold. Sure, you made a guess of how the 'average' Lightning Person looks, but she's not average.::_ I sighed in love for her _:: Actually, she is so far above average you could never imitate her. _

I struck my paw again, Hiccup´s harness jingling on my shoulders and chest.

_::Two- My baby sister's name is Destiny, not Fate. Good, try, though.::_

The Lady in her alluring Lightning Person shrugged like she didn´t care.

I snorted at her and gave her a charming grin I did not feel- and I continued.

_:: Three- you seem to not know my other sisters' names—or mine for that matter. How would a mother ever NOT know the names of her kittens?::_

I felt a growl rising in me. _::Four- I grew up in a high mountain range in Asia, but it was NOT the Himalayas. I thought you knew more about Lightning People than that. We tend to grow up in the same area and then disperse across the Continent. But then again, my most Unladylike Lady, you just kill first and then ask questions._

_::Five- and your last giveaway- my Rider and I have the exact same color of eyes. . He does NOT have gold eyes.::_

I heard clapping and realized the Lady – disguised as a young (and getting more alluring all the time) Lightning Person queen was applauding me with slaps of her tail on the ground. _::Well done, little Lightning Person, my pet-slave in the pony harness...!. But, you're still going to die, little dragon. Really, you're the one who loses in the end.::_

I ignored her obvious words_:: I am one hundred percent certain I am going to die, Lady. Guess what... we all are! Including, dat-duh-duh... you! But I want to go down knowing that my Rider is safe. And, for that reason, I REFUSE to break our bond. When I die, that bond will be broken. It won't be easy for him, but at least he can live on, make a new life. He won´t be cut down by your clever idea of making me kill my own Rider. _

_:: And I just hope, now that he goes on living after I die, he will not become the outlaw- that's your imagination, is it not? Instead, he'll save what villagers he can and then, when you least expect it, he'll come and put you down. As much as I hate it, I hope he finds another dragon- maybe a Lightning Person like me- but one who is stronger and purer than I have proved to be. And Hiccup and that new dragon will blast you from the sky, Lady::_

She was still laughing at me, _::You're just so adorable in your idealism. Go back to your den and play with your chew toys, kitten! I've had you marked for some time, little crippled pet dragon. I've known you and two others before you have been poking around the Nest, trying to discover my whereabouts. Getting rid of them was so easy, too. You, little cripple, just have been a bit harder. I hought hypnotizing the other Signalers into disconnecting your memory would kill you, but it didn't.::_

I felt some pride in my thought voice and flung my head up, the metal rings around my legs and the belts on my girths ringing out sweetly in the dismal landscape. _:: Of course, it didn't. I had something the other Lightning People before me did not have. It's called a Rider. And THAT'S why you wanted me to break the bond. Isn't it? Something about me having a Rider just makes you nervous to the bottom of your pretty multiclawed paws. Because, for once, you can't control a Person. You found that out when you caught sight of me, my Rider and a friend of ours a short while back when we visited that cozy little den of yours Must be frustrating, not being in control of things, eh? Poor, poor evil dragon queen::_

_::You're so much fun to play with, my handsome little Kitty-dragon!:: _she purred sweetly and yet seductively- observors probably thought we were madly attracted to one another _::I almost regret that you'll be killed soon.::I don't usually give People in my 'little flock' the chance to make a choice. You should have been honored. It's just a pity that you did not release your bond to your Firemaker. It would have made things so much easier.::_

_::For you, maybe. Always looking out for Number One.::_

_::Of course::_ she purred sensually, _::Ladies first.::_

I smiled right back at her and purred just as sensually, responding to her tactics, even though I was scared deep inside. I didn't want her to know that. When you let fear in, you know you'll never win. _::Put a paw over it, my Lady::_ I said casually (but trembling inside)_:: A true Lady doesn't gain respect by terrorizing others. You may be strong and mighty now, but, as you so well put it earlier, things change and life runs in cycles. And you find yourself just getting too great and unwieldly to continue as you are. Just like the dinosaurs of old. Suddenly the world changes, and you just can't fit into that new change. Then it's time to step back and let something else take its place::_

I swear she was annoying! I really wanted her to get mad. I really did. Instead, she actually leaned over and tried to nuzzle me, loverly like. I hissed back at her.

And then she hissed back at me. _::Damn that harness! It´s... it's... painful!::_

She was now backing away from me and my harness as though it had somehow stung her. I picked up the hidden implications that somehow, the longer I wore that harness, the harder it was for her to control me. And why not? The essence of my Rider was wound into that harness, so even if it was not as powerful a block as Hiccup himself would have been, the harness was still repelling the lady. That's why she was reacting to it with such disgust. As weak as the bond and that harness were, it was enough to give me a bit of protection.

And more than a bit of confidence. _::Back off, Lady! 'No' means no.::_

I hissed good and loud when I said that.

_::Awww, you're so cute when you're mad. So, are you saying, little crippled dragon pet, little slave to a Firemaker, that I should be scared of YOU?.::_She laughed in a rich, throaty purr that would have had me quivering in desire if it had come from a more ethical creature_:: Such a good sense of humor. Size does matter, and you- just like your predecessors- have no chance to defeat me.::_

_::Of course not, darrrrling. But you miss my point- I think the only one who can defeat you is,well, you. After all, the bigger you are, the harder you fall::_

I trotted towards her and then past her, saluting her a bit with my wings, kind of like my Rider would do with his hand, _::Fair Winds and Fall Well!::_

_::Sure thing, cutie. It's a date! Until then...::_ The Lady-disguised-as-a Lightperson suddenly blasted a fireball at me.

It hit me in the left shoulder, and it was awfully hot for a dream fireball. I was knocked to my side, screaming. I felt myself falling and then-

WHUMPF! Water spashed up around me as the Viking ship, launched by a wave, hovered in the air and crashed back down. I heard chains rattle and tighten around me. I opened my eyes to find a band of Vikings around me, staring at me like I was insane.

I gave them my Level Three Cold, Evil stare- the one I save for particularly uncomfortable occasions. I mixed that with a snarl (shaken, not growled).

"Do ya think it was dreaming, then?"

"Nah, it's just a dumb animal."

"Heh, my dog's not so smart, and sometimes I see her dreaming."

"Dragon's dumber'n a dog anyday. If it was dreamin' of anything, it was dreamin' of blowing us all up."

They moved on, leaving just the blacksmith and I to contemplate on the sea.

I shook my head, clearing it. Then I felt an itchy/painful twinge on left shoulder.

Now a scorch mark slashed its way across my shoulder, sealing off the old wounds there. The Lady had left me a little souvenir to show she was very much real.

Even if we had waged this war in the battlefield of the mind, this had been no dream. Actions that happened in that plane wound up manifesting in reality- like this fireburn on my side. Just like if I ended the bond with Hiccup in that quasi dream, he would have been killed in reality. The Lady had just used some very considerable illusions to make me try and shatter the bond with (and kill my) Firemaker. She must have sensed that he and I were some kind of threat to her.

I have to admit I thought that was kind of funny. Hiccup- little Hiccup the Useless- and me, the Crippled Code Talker? Something to be afraid of? I started laughing under my muzzle.

_She knows something you don't, buddy. Don't underestimate it. _

Well, then, Toothless. Let´s summarize our facts and see how things stand.

I am on a boat, and I am trapped and bringing these Firemakers to their death. The Lady will reach out her will at any time and pull me in, and I will be her thrall.

I started this voyage weeping in hopeless despair. Now I had only determination to bring her down—or die trying. If there was any way- any way for me to get out of this chain prison, I was going to fight for all I was worth. And if I could not get out, I would still go down in my chains, cursing her name in defiance.

But the best option- the one I prayed for- would be a way for my Rider and I to unite so we could fight the Lady. We might go down, but we'd go down fighting. And, best of all, we'll go down together. That's the way it should be.

* * *

We were getting closer and closer to our Doom.

I was still thinking of the bizarre mind experience I had just come through.

The Lady, it seemed, had taken my People's most cherished beliefs and perverted them, making it easier for her to control my People.

As you know from my various grumbling and cursing in this tale , we People believe in a trio of deities who brought The World into being. The Creator Father provided the spark of life-fire so that the sisters, Night Lady and Sky Lady, could bring forth life to the world. All life came from the trio, but we People were created in the image of the trio themselves.

Of the three deities, the Sky Lady is the one we revere the most. After all, the sky is the most important place for a Person, considering how much time we spend up there.

The Sky Lady is a nosy sort, and She has manifested herself through our history to a small but select number of People from various tribes. We don't know Her real form, but if you happen to lucky (or unlucky if you've done something really bad) enough to meet her, she'll appear as one of your own People. And She has three variants: maiden, matron and crone.

The Lady had been doing the same thing to me, I realized. I had just now seen her in two of those forms, the alluring youngling and the wise matron. And, I guess, the first time I had seen her, she had been in her natural form, she was the crone. Normally the crone is the Elder, wise and fair. The Lady as a crone- well, not so much.

Maybe that is why we all thought of her as a Lady. She was using our own beliefs to create herself as our new Lady, instead of the Sky Lady and Night Lady. She obviously had a powerful mind control, but she could conserve a lot of her energy just by using our culture against us to make it easier for us to accept her as our supreme ruler.

I gave up my musing and starting pulling against the chains again. The chains were sharp and painful on me. I had been working at them futilely after I had awakened. I wanted to do as much as I could before we came within range of the Lady's mental pull.

Within a few hours I could see the mists and sea stacks that marked the boundaries of Hellheimsgate. Somewhere within there lay that portal. My only hope against hope was that, since I had no Firemakers on my back, we would not find it.

And I knew that my harness and my now weak bond with Hiccup would not save me from the Lady's influence for much longer.

"Take us in!" I heard Stoick call.

The boat's wind hides belled out from a breeze, someone pushed a large wooden object at the back of the vessel, and it began to steer into the region, groaning with the friction.

Hiccup's father came up by the blacksmith, eyes trained on the sea stacks in front of him.

The fog boiled around us, smelling of clouds, and soon I could only see the two Viking Firemakers and the deck just in front of me. It was an eerie sensation, like we were floating in the air.

Somewhere in the back of my sensors I began to feel a tingling.

Oh no…

"Sound your positions!" Stoick called, "And stay within earshot!"

From behind our ship we heard various captains calling out the name of their boats:

"Long Serpent, here!"

"Sea Wolf, present!"

"Stallion of the Ice Home, present!"

The blacksmith was drumming the fingers of his good hand on the rail of the ship.

"Ah, Stoick..."

"Yes, Gobber?"

Gobber? I snorted with surprise. Hiccup was right. There are stupider names out there than his.

"Ah, listen, Stoick. I was listening' to the men just now, and some of them are wonderin' just what it is we're up to here?" this "Gobber" took a cautious breath, "Not me, of course- I know you're always the man with the plan. But some- not me- are wondering if, indeed, there is a plan at all? And if there is, what... might... it ...be?"

A moment of silence, then Stoick growled softly, "Find the Nest and take it."

I shook my head sadly, as far as my neck brace and the chains would allow.

It would not be brute force that brought down the evil Lady- she would always be stronger. As I knew from my dream, she needed to be outwitted. These Firemakers always believed strength saved the day. Well, today was not going to be that day.

Gobber seemed to agree with me. "Oh, of course!" he said, reminding a bit of Hiccup with his snarking, "Send 'em runnin'! The good old Viking fallback."

Suddenly a lovely melody danced through the air, winding around my sensors, an invitation to come and be comforted. I would be freed from this trap. I would find a new companion to replace my lost Firemaker. It would be she- a great honor indeed- and she was waiting for me. I just had to submit.

_::Ah, scorch it and frozen hells!:: _I clamped my teeth together and tried to resist, but I had no Firemaker on my back.

It became stronger and stronger, overpowering whatever resistance I had from the harness.

So, instead, my reflexes kicked in and I signaled back with my sensors, letting the Lady know I was here. I used the throatier, warbling purr we Lightning People use when we are sending coordinates.

Both Firemakers turned to face me as I succumbed to the pull of the Lady's call. I saw Stoick gesture with his hand, silencing the Firemaking-Firemaker. Other Firemakers came up to us, watching me with a grim fascination.

The Lady sent back an answer:_** ::Come, young one. I will heal your hurts, mend your broken heart.::**_

As I twitched my ears to the left and I purred a signal response, I felt the boat shift in that direction. The Firemakers were using me to find the portal.

I felt my eyes close in shame. A very small part of me that somehow seemed to have escaped the Lady's pull and was hiding in my broken heart whispered to me:

_You're leading them to their doom. And your own, of course._

Our boats passed by the bleached skeletons of boats that had crashed into the jagged cliffs of Hellheimsgate. Our boat's wind hide actually brushed against the carved Person's head on one of those broken ships.

"Oh, I was wondering where that went," Gobber muttered softly.

I felt the light pressure as our boat phased through the portal, and then the mists were even thicker than ever.

"It almost feels like summer all of a sudden," A tall Firemaker with short dark hair and what seemed to be a week´s worth of new beard said, coming up behind Stoick and Gobber.

Behind him, a handsome, heavyset, blond haired woman warrior set her jaw and touched a small hammer pendant on her neck. She then kissed her hand and raised it to the sky.

The call was now very strong. I began to buck and pull against my restraints. I had the burning desire to bite my chains, scoop up all of these Firemakers and carry them to the lava pit to feed my Lady. She would thank me and be so grateful that I would get the special honor of being able to live another day.

_How merciful she is!_

And, at the same time, I hated myself for being pulled into this.

Now the air was filled with the purrs, trills and croons of my People, rippling like the fog as our boats drifted forward. As usual, they called their names to one another but there was no other element of conversation involved.

The lava stone shoreline and black cliffs and volcano of the Lady's Island (or Dragon Island as the Firemakers on board had been calling it that) hove into sight. I even saw the long red tail of a Self Burner dart over the lip of a cliff and into the volcano.

The belly of our boat ran up onto the shore, lava stones screeching against the wooden planks.

Nervously I started pawing a leg in the air. I felt helpless against this pull, and I was angry at being trapped.

"Stay low and ready your weapons," Stoick walked gracefully past me and then leaped over the side of the boat.

His boots crunched on lava stones as he landed heavily.

Immediately all the calling stopped. It was very foreboding.

Stoick stood up, balancing his war hammer in his massive hand, "Then, we're here. This place's good as any. Ready the war machines."

I saw the amazing efficiency of these Firemakers as they unloaded those strange "Cats-on-a-Pole" and set up barricades. They did with a speed I would never have guessed, considering the bulkiness of the equipment. But, still, the Lady would see that powerful equipment as mere toys compared to her bulk.

I myself kept trying to struggle out of my bindings, but to no avail. I knew I was going to die today. I expected it. But the thought of being trapped and cut down like a fish stranded in a tidal pool, instead, was sickening. I wanted to die fighting the Lady. As time went on, I got more and more brutal, shoving myself against the block and chain until my chest and legs were bleeding again, thanks to various small cuts from the chains, my harness and wood block splinters.

Stoick´s voice brought me back to the preparations for the Vikings' own doomed attack.

"Weapons at the ready, troops!"

The Firemakers had arranged themselves along the shoreline facing the mountain, and their chief had hopped up onto a rock outcrop to face them. Hiccup's father called out to them:

"Once we break through the mountain, all Hell will break loose." He raised his right hand with the fist closed.

I heard Gobber say something and there was laughter, but I missed what it was.

"No matter how it ends," Stoick called, "IT! ENDS! TODAY!"

_::For once you are right about this whole situation.::,_ I thought grimly.

Stoick lowered his hand, and then the air was filled with the sound of those strange cat machines throwing stones into the volcano. The rocks crashed against one of the rock slopes, punching a hole in it.

Gritting my teeth, I went back to struggling, not really caring what the Vikings were doing. They had chosen this fate. The Viking Firemakers were chanting each time a cat machine hit the wall, deep voices pulsing along with the stone blows. I guessed it gave them some sort of motivation and helped them deal with their battle nerves.

Then all went quiet as I heard the stone slope collapse in on itself. I took a breath in, my muscles tensing. The human chanting stopped.

Suddenly the air above me was full of beating wings as hundreds of my People flew away from the mountain in a vast cloud of wings and claws. Loose scales fell down around me on the deck- some were flying so fast to escape they were fighting each other to get ahead, tearing scales from hides.

Over this, I heard their cries.

_::Run! Run! We're being attacked!::_

_::The Lady will take vengeance on everyone! Get away!::_

_::You down there, Lightning Person! Come with us, or she'll kill you, too!::_

_::Are you kidding? He's a prisoner of The Firemakers! Leave him to his fate!::_

Those were the general calls, but they were repeated by hundreds of voices in all our tribes' dialects.

I whined and felt my ears droop. I truly was trapped to face what came next.

I heard Firemakers cheering on the coastline and snarled , _::You fools!::_

The rumbling of the mountain became unbearable as a massive body crashed through the broken walls of the volcano.

Gone was the elegant and caring temptress. This was a vengeful war goddess.

_**::Who dares to attack my home! Prepare to die!::**_

The Lady rose up to her full height. I found myself looking up.

And up.

And up.

And up.

Yup. We were pretty much all done for.

I doubled my efforts to free myself.

I could not see the Firemakers well from this perspective, but I knew they were now facing the truth of their foolish attack. People were yelling oaths and gasping, but they were admirably brave about it. They fought back with their weapons, turning the cats-on-a-pole to smash enormous boulders at this terrifying new monster.

It was like tickling the Lady with a feather. She just brushed off stones and spears and trampled over the barricades.

I winced seeing those weapons, which had done serious damage to my People, glance off the Lady's hide like pine needles and pebbles. The Cats-on-A-Pole crumpled under her stomping front feet as if I had been walking through slushy snow on a late winter afternoon. I curled lips back from my teeth and growled, trying to hide the sickening sounds of wood cracking and the bones of a few unfortunate Vikings.

The Lady's attitude also disgusted me. She shattered all around her with graceful, even alluring movements, and her tone had gone back to its normal sensuous yet motherly thought voice.

**_::So nice of you all to set this up for me. I, myself ,have never found it rude to play with my food before I eat it.::_**

A group of more realistic Firemakers did some quick battle strategies, estimated the odds, and then ran for the boats. I heard Stoick´s voice bellow something at them.

And then my world blew up in fire. Greasy, smoky, fire that reminded me of the tar pits I had seen in the desert on my journey to this region.

The Lady was burning the boats, cutting off the Firemakers' only escape route. She had the largest band of fire I had seen in my life. A few small puffs, and yet she produced a broad sheet of fire that neatly set all of the fleet on fire within seconds.

Including the boat I was on.

**_::Be nice, Firemakers. It's rude to leave dinner early.:_: ** her rich voice purred in disappointment, ** :_:I do insist most affectionately that you stay. We have so much more ahead of us, and dinner's just started.::_**

Flames licked along the sides of my boat now, and that terrible smoke was stinging my eyes.

_Arrgghh... I was a dragon, and yet I was going to roast to death! Oh, the irony!_

By this point my vision was completely obscured by smoke, so I had no idea what was happening on the beach. I just heard screaming, running, shouting. I could only see the Lady's enormous head over the smoke.I thought I heard Stoick yelling for the others to run for the other side of the island and, though I am not sure of this, I thought he might have said something in a quieter voice, something like, "I was a fool."

_Well, at least you are man enough to admit your mistakes. Just slightly too late to do anything about it, sir. _

_Well, here goes... now approaching the final moments of my life... _

My memory stone began to record its final impressions and shut down, preserving itself so that some other Lightning Person would (maybe) find what was left of my corpse and know my fate.

As the flames began to belch out a nasty black smoke I gave one last pull on the chains, ready to go down trapped but still fighting, a final curse to the Lady on my mind.

And then my sensors and memory stone flared back into full life and I was aware of an amazing thing.

My Firemaker was here!

I smelled new bursts of fire: magnesium, kerosine, lava, gas and propane.

And a lone voice floating over the noise. My sensors picked it up.

"Fishlegs! Stay back! Ruffnut and Tuffnut, keep to the left! Everyone! Stay with me, now!"

It was Hiccup, and I had never heard him so assured and commanding.

_::Oh, yes! The gods be praised! He came through! And so did my People!::_

Now I could see four dragons soaring around the head of the Lady. Each one was carrying one of the younglings from the village, the Two Headed person carrying one youngling on each neck. There were also two younglings riding the Magnesium person, the rider in front a small, tattered figure pointing out flight directions to the others.

All of the People split apart, each one flying over to a different part of the Lady to distract her. I had the impression my Firemaker had been setting every Person and its rider up in a way to take advantage of their particular skills.

Thought voices reached out to me as well.

_::You there, Toothless?:: _a Self Burner's confident voice blazed across my sensors.

_::Yes?::_ I sent back with a warbling purr, my heart slowly rising in joy.

_Hey, Lady! Stick a quill in it! I'll even lend you one of my own!::_

_::Behold, young Toothless, for we have come to render assistance in this darkest of hours. And I have a rider on my back! _:: a quick pause _::Hold on, young Firemaker. You can pull the rope on my neck tighter. We are together. How can you hurt me?::_

_::Heh! Take that, Lady! Pffft! You can't control Us any longer. Oh, whoo! I NEVER thought We'd see the day!::_

_::Me neither, gas brain!::_

On the lava stone shore, the smoke cleared just enough for me to see Stoick and Gobber had turned from what seemed to be an attempt to fight against the Lady one-on-one (Why try something so stupid? Could they have been doing a diversion to allow their comrades to escape?).

Stoick looked up and breathed an oath when he saw Hiccup's calm demeanor and leadership skills. Next to him Gobber nudged his shoulder and said something, an "I told you so" sort of expression on his face. Stoick just nodded in what seemed to be stunned pride.

The smoke then poured over me, and I breathed it in. Choking, I heard something go thump next to me, and suddenly the air around me was clear.

It was a green Sticky Fire Person, the little Person from the Kill Ring.

_::Top of the day' to you, Toothless!::_ She said, clearing away the smoke with her wings so I could breathe again.

I barked my thanks to her _::You all came! You all did it!::_ I roared in amazed delight.

_::A course we did, boyo. . You and that crazy Firemaker of yers have given us something to think about. ´Tis obvious you two have something good, so why not give it a try? When he and the other younglings freed us, there was no doubt in our minds we'd do this. I can't carry a Rider a course, but I do what I can, I do. Skybird sent me here to make sure you were okay until she and her riders can get here.::_

Her eyes narrowed, _::And I'm knowing we might not come outta this, but we have to try.::_

_::Toothless, we're here! Incoming Firemaker!:: _I heard the Magnesium Person call above me.

I saw her in the smoke, and then someone jumped onto the deck next me with a loud thud.

My Rider.

He was still wearing the same tattered, muddy clothes I had seen him in last time, but somehow he had managed to get his flight harness and boots back. Someone also had properly bandaged his arm. As mud spattered and bedraggled as he looked, it was so nice to see him like this, and not like that mad bandit of my visions.

_::Well, hey there!::_ I barked at him, joy in my heart_ ::Nice of you to drop in! Come and warm yourself by the fireside!::_

He laughed and pulled off my muzzle, then he threw his arms around me and hugged me hard. Really hard. And yet it was not hard enough for how much I had missed his company these past few days. I dropped my head over his shoulder and purred. Some lost part of me felt like I had found my way home.

_:::You, too, huh?:::_ I heard from my Rider.

The smoke from that fire sure was nasty, because both our eyes were watering heavily. But the smoke also meant we were trapped on a boat ready to fall apart and sink into the sea.

My Firemaker grabbed a pole to try and pry open the hooks holding my chains. I started pulling with my neck and shoulders, trying to help out on my end, ignoring how much it was hurting my already cut-up hide.

On the other side, the Sticky Fire person casually inserted a long claw in one of the locks and twisted it, springing it open. She grinned at me. I was able to lift one of my legs free now.

_::My People's specialty.:: _the Sticky Fire person purred.

Thoughts coming from my new allies rang across my sensors.

_::We're approaching now, young Firemaker with the curly horned helmet... Ram-horned Firemaker, hang on! No, scorch it, grab on to me! Falling, no! Oh, thank the Trio you landed on that bitch's head and not the ground, curly horned One. Watch it, don't fall off her- I want to catch you but...! Oh, no, she... is ... trying...- Firemaker, sorry to leave you there. I have to flee before she takes over my mind. Again.::_

_::Don't worry, Firewyrm, dear Self Burner! My Firemaker's throwing your curly hornéd Firemaker his own hammer. Oh, mendacity! This hammering on the shields is surely affecting the evil Dame, but I am also being thrown off of my keel. Oh, dear. I believe I am heading to the ground. I shall have to say a dirty word! Oh... piffle. Sorry, young Firemaker. Next time you can fall on me. Is that a pact? ::_

And from the Magnesium Perso_n, Skybird:_

_::I guess, Double Head, it's just you and I. Well, let's keep her distracted! Toothless, come on... where are you! ::_

I heard the Double Head shriek, strangely in harmony with himself, _::Skybird, watch out- the Lady- her tail it's heading right for the...::_

THWACK!

_::boats... Oh, no! Toothless and the little Firemaker Dragon master! They're trapped!::_

_::No!, why didn't I stay and help them when the little red-headed Firemaker jumped off me? Stupidstupidstupid!::_

Something heavy and clubbed with spikes rammed against the boat. It was the Lady's clubbed, spiked tail. The three of us screamed, and I saw the Sticky Fire Person rise up into the sky, screeching in anger that she could not help Hiccup and I.

The Double Head shrieked in frustration from both mouths, :_:Oh, why were We born with two heads on Our body instead of faster wings and the ability to breathe under water? Oh, no! Toothless!::_

Then water roared around me and I was sinking into the sea. My various cuts began to sting with the salt water.

First I was going to be burned to death? Now drowning- how appropriate for a creature of fire.

:_:We have to keep fighting, my friend with the two heads! Come on! My rider says the Firemaker on the Lady's head needs our help! Let's go!::_

The sky above me rippled through the water as my platform hit the bottom.

Then Hiccup was by me again, swimming to me, trying to pull on my chains. It was too much for him, though, and I could see his eyes start to close as he ran out of air. Like me, he was exhausted from lack of sleep and, in his case, I would guess, food for two days.

He began to pass out, drifting up from me, bubbles streaming from his mouth as he began to breathe in water.

Another whoosh of bubbles and then Stoick was there, pulling his son away by his flight harness.

I looked up in horror, knowing for sure that I was doomed. But the feeling only lasted for a moment. Like my Rider, I was now running out of air.

I felt a pressure on my lungs and then yello/w spots dancing before my eyes. I dropped my head.

_At... least... you're...safe..., My...Rider._

More bubbles and splashing, and then Stoick was facing me, his red beard floating around his solemn face. I stared at him, too dizzy to react otherwise.

Then I heard a mighty crack ringing through the water and,suddenly, my bindings were being broken. Stoick tore through them with his powerful arms. I was free! The only thing on me now was my battered saddle and harness.

I felt new energy rise in me. I looked at Hiccup's father in amazement.

_::I bow my wings to you, Firemaker::_

Then I grabbed him in my claws and kicked upwards, taking us to the surface. The powerful kick sent me right over the surface of the water so that I could plunge my wings and coast with us to shore. I dropped Stoick next to his waterlogged son, who was still coughing up sea water.

I landed on a rock just above them and shook myself dry.

Ahead of me, the Lady continued her destruction. I saw some of my People circling her and taunting her, and there was a Firemaker on her head, beating at her many eyes with a hammer.

Then I barked at Hiccup and gestured with my muzzle.

_::C'mon, Rider! Let's take her down!::_

"You got it, bud!" Hiccup ran up to me. I sucked in my breath so he could tighten the girths of my now rather loose saddle. He pulled them tighter than they ever had been. This was serious business ahead.

He leapt on me and skillfully clipped his harness to mine, slipping his boots into the pedals.

As he did this, I laid back my right ear sensor for him to bind to his right hand with one of the wrist straps, strengthening our bond to its fullest. He did so, pulling it as gently as he could to his hand.

"Son..."

Stoick was in front of us, now, water running from his helmet less head. He reached out and took Hiccup's bare and bandaged arm in his enormous hand. The position my Rider was in, I could turn my head and see both him and his father clearly.

My bedraggled Rider and I looked back at Stoick with uncertainty.

"I- I´m ... sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Stoick said solemnly.

I felt my Rider's confusion, but also his love for his father, "Yeh, me too, Dad. Me, too."

Well, well, well. What a strange and wonderful day this is turning into. I could sense that both of them were feeling regrets for things they had done to each other through these years. Now, in one powerful moment, Hiccup would leave a man he had just met for the first time, and yet, he most likely never come back from this flight to see him again.

Stoick gently squeezed his son's arm. "You don't have to go up there," he said, genuine fear in his voice. I picked up his thoughts through my contact with Hiccup.

_:::And we outlawed you. You have no obligation to help us after how we treated you.:::_

Hiccup shook a wet lock of hair out of his eyes. He had a sad smile on his face as he said, "We´re Vikings, Dad. It's an occupational hazard."

Stoick had a startled look on his face, as if this was a statement he had made often in his life, but never around his son.

Through our connection, I could pick up as well, that this was not just a bonding moment between father and son. They were also saying goodbye forever, since we all knew the chances Hiccup would come back alive were not great at all. This was t he first- and last time- Stoick would be able to tell his son how he felt.

He put his other hand on Hiccup's arm. I could hear the love in his voice as he said, "I'm proud to call you my son."

Relief and love flooded through my Rider, "Thanks, Dad."

Stoick let go and stepped back. He saluted his son, who saluted him back. I dipped my head in my own salute to them both.

Then I felt my Rider grip the handholds and fighting straps, "All right, Toothless. Let's go! Bite the sky..."

_:: ...And spit out the seeds!::_ I grinned and launched myself in the air, flying straight up from a standstill. The wind dried both of us out in mere minutes.

All my tiredness was gone. My Rider was back, and I was full of energy and joy. There was a good chance- a very good chance- we were going to die, but we needed to fight this beast. It was time to lay to rest this whole terrible situation that had made both our species into such enemies.

"He's up!" I heard Ástríður call as she soared by on the Magnesium person, Skybird.

I plunged towards the Lady and the other People.

Along with Skybird, the Two Headed Person was the only one of my allies still up in the air, and he was blasting the Lady for all he was worth.

The sturdy Firemaker on the Lady's head took a flying leap and landed on the Two Head, who swiftly soared away and then wheeled back around, ready to face the Lady along with Hiccup and I. The Firemakers on his back and necks braced themselves for battle, eyes wide in fear, but jaw clenched in determination.

_::Toothless! :_: One of the heads roared in joy, _::Hey there, partner! You look like five miles of bad road!::_

_::Yeeps:: yelled the other head, :: We've been around Firemakers so much We're using their expressions. ARRGH::_

"We need to get everyone out of the area," I heard Hiccup's tired voice from my back, "And you and I need to get that monster distracted."

His voice was so hoarse from tiredness and his shouting out commands earlier, I knew it would not carry.

But my thought-voice would.

_::Get the Firemaker and yourselves to safety!::_ I called to the Two Head.

_::But, Toothless...:: _

I roared my Listen-to-me-now call, and my rider pat me reassuringly,_::You've done your part, sir. And so have you, sir:: _(I added that to be on the safe side- Double Heads can be sensitive about that sort of thing _::I can see how tired you and the Firemakers are. But you can help us by getting these other Firemakers to move back from the shoreline. I have a feeling there are going to be some serious fireworks and we don't need them in danger. Can you both help with that?::_

_::Of course! We're with you, Toothless!::_ The gas breathing head roared, causing his blond-haired Firemaker to yell and grip harder to hang on , _::Besides, We can feel the gas is almost gone. We hate to say it, but being in those cages has really made Us out of shape. That flight here has worn Us out.:: _ An angry snort, _::But We don't want leave you to take the Lady on, alone! We're allies, We protect each other, head to head to head to head to...::_

I grinned back to put him at ease, and I heard my Rider shifting, gesturing to the other Firemakers to stay calm, to wait for a moment

I snorted in joy, _::Sometimes you need an army of five thousand, sometimes you need an army of two. You've seen how well the first option worked with the Firemaker Vikings. Now it's time for Plan B. Go. We know what we're doing, my Rider and I::_

(Well, I sure hoped so, anyway).

Hiccup made a gentle shooing motion from on my back, and I nodded to the Double Head_:: Go on, friends, help move everyone. See if the Lava Person and The Sticky Fire one and the Self Burner can help. If the Firemakers see the younglings with you all, they'll trust you and follow you. Now, move it!::_

The Double Head gently turned and starting flying back towards the crowd of Firemakers on the beach _::Aye, aye, Firedrake. As you wish.::_

I shook my head in wonder. That's our term of respect we give the lead dragon of a flight formation. We don't call a Person that lightly.

Suddenly I heard Skybird screaming, _::Gods, I'm being sucked into this beast's maw! I can't break free!::_

Ástríður yelled and tried to help her new friend by leaning forward, but it was too late.

My Rider adjusted the pedals, and then we were diving towards the Lady. I tucked my wings in and became lightning fast, the very air screaming past me. Below me, Firemakers raised their shields to protect themselves from my dive.

The fire rose in me and my banshee cry filled the air.

NIGHTFURYGETDOWN!

I shot a plasma bolt at the Lady and hit her on the side of the jaw.

She roared in anger and turned her head, releasing Skybird and Ástríður.

But Ástríður was knocked from the Magnesium Person's back. She tumbled, screaming, to the ground far below.

I quickly dove down and caught Ástríður by her ankle, gently grasping her as we flew back upwards.

"Didja get her?" Hiccup's voice floated from up on my back.

I looked down at my legs. Ástríður was hanging upside down by her ankle. She looked up at me, smiled, and saluted me.

I winked at her and gave her a toothless grin. _::Yup!::_

Ástríður swung herself up to grab my legs so she was now hanging by her hands instead of her ankle. I gently set her on the shore and then flew with my Rider up against the Lady.

Behind me I heard Ástríður whisper, "Go."

I was so grateful to her that she had the courage to let Hiccup and I go. I believe in her heart she knew that, in this moment, Hiccup and I were the only ones who could beat the Lady at her own game.

Now, it was only Hiccup and I. That was part of the plan. Time for some major distracting.

_::Hey grandma!::_ I roared, _:: We´re lonely. Wanna come play with us?::_

The Lady snarled and trained all six of her pale blue, cataract-ridden eyes on me. Her many nostrils flared, pulling in our scent, filtering information to her that her eyes could no longer provide.

For a moment she said nothing, but then it registered that I had survived and had brought along a buddy of mine to her lovely dinner party.

All seduction and kitten temptress games were long over. Now she was mad. And that told me worlds that she had something to fear from Hiccup and me. _(Well, of course. we know you, Lady. We know you are the only one who can defeat yourself. And we're more than happy to assist in the process!)_

She hid her dread in curses_** ::You fool. I will break your bones to pieces one by one! And I will kill your Rider in front of you. Slowly. And, then, I will kill you. Slowly.::**_

_::Oooh, sorry about that. Did we ruin your little dinner party? You know us men, we're just so insensitive at times. Well, you're welcome to try and kill us, but first ya gotta catch us! Buh-bye!::_

She swatted at me, but I was too fast for her. I would always be too fast for her. It was the main advantage we had. That, and my Rider's intelligence. Together, as I had known from that vision, we had to outwit her, to use her strength against her. My wings and fire and my Rider's skill at calculations of wind resistance...we were a team!

_::Can you read my mind? My wings are in your hands, Hiccup! Guide me, show me where to hit, and I will! We hafta use her strength against her!::_

_:::Sure thing... working on it, Toothless! Working on it. Heh. I should be scared, but I'm just... angry! DAMN! That creature took everything away from me, from my tribe! And from you, Toothless! WE WERE BOTH EXILED, BOTH HUMILIATED, BOTH TREATED AS GARBAGE! BECAUSE OF THAT MONSTER!:::_

_::Calm down, bud. You're not the only one angry, Hiccup. Don't let it control you. Instead, catch that anger and use it against her!::_

I felt my Rider breathe hard and try to calm himself, fists clenched, teeth clenched, _:::I'mtryingI'mtryingI'mtrying:::_

_::That's it, Hiccup. We take her on together. I'm with you all the way, Firemaker::_

I felt his left hand caress me gently, reassuring me, but also supporting me as a friend. His breathing and heart slowed down as he got ahold of himself.

_:::Thanks, bud, no- my best friend ever! I'm okay, now.::: _ Was he actually understanding my thoughts? Finally?

_::No problem... Rider. Okay. As you so aptly say, good sir, it's go-time!::_

He laughed and I barked back in reassurance. We were brothers in arms, ready to face our enemy.

Down below us the ships burned on the beach and Firemakers looked up at us. I saw my allies, too, soaring in and around the group, their riders shouting and gesturing to move back. The Firemakers were not stupid, they began to move back, giving Hiccup and I room to lead this Lady/Monster away from them. I wondered how my allies were getting the message to their riders- it seemed too quick for them to have picked up such a close bond like Hiccup and I had, but yet they seemed to understand. Perhaps the key was in my People being willing to open up and share.

Well, too late for me to consider. Hiccup and I had a date with a Red Lady. I looked at her enormous teeth and powerfully muscled frame and sharp claws and felt my heart plunge a bit. We were indeed so small and fragile compared to her bulk. One blow with those claws, and I think you'd need a sponge to pick us up.

I did not fear dying, but I feared wasting our lives so that we could not help the others escape.

My sensors picked up myriad of prayers from the Firemakers below. And I also heard five whispered

wishes for _::Fair winds and fly well.::_

That gave me a sense of courage, and my Rider picked it from me. I felt him relax more on my back.

"I hope they allow nerds in Valhalla," he told me, stroking my neck.

::Well, we'll make 'em change their policy if they don't!:: I snorted back.

And we leaped into our doom.

I soared toward the Lady and then, as she ducked her head to snap at me, hared off to the right, lightning fast. I heard the flight straps zing as they were stretched out, but my Rider stayed on board. The move threw the Lady off balance, and she took a few moments to recover her balance, buying us some time.

_**::Come back here. Come to me, now, little pest!::**_

She had no influence on me with a Rider on my back.

I back-winged to a stop then some distance from her. I felt Hiccup´s head slam against my neck ridges by my sudden stop.

"Arghhh! Watch it, will ya?"

_:: Sorry about that.::_

" 'Sokay. I don't dink my nothe is bwoken."

I felt him shift in my saddle. I heard him wipe a hand across his face as if cleaning blood from his nose, and then he said, "Wait a minute...that thing has wings. Let´s see if it can fly!"

He leaned forward, asking me to dive.

_::I'm on it!::_ I tucked my wings to my side and dove at the Lady, swooping toward her, banshee scream starting up.

I blasted a plasma bolt, hitting her on the top of her wings.

_::Tag! You're it!::_

She was knocked off balance again and roared as she staggered to recover on the beach. Her roar was something I will not print. She may think of herself as a Lady, but she did not have the language of one.

We swooped up, wind ripping against us.

"Do ya think that did it?" Hiccup asked, his voice tight with adrenaline.

Behind me I heard the sound of two heavy, tattered wings plunge downwards with steady, rhythmic beats.

The saddle leather creaked as my Rider turned to look behind him .

"Well, it can definitely fly." I could pick up he was nervous from his thoughts.

And very, very brave.

_::Well, we can fly faster!::_ I roared. He pat me on the neck and laughed.

Stones and dust and sand billowed over the Firemakers below as the Lady rose up into the air behind me. They raised up hands and shields to protect their heads.

_::Catch me if you can, Lady!::_ I flew away from her, drawing her from the Firemakers below.

The Lady could fly, but obviously it had been a long time. She crashed into sea stacks, scattering black, jagged rocks in her path.

As we soared over the Viking Firemakers, my Rider leaning low over me to help me move faster, I heard shouts from below.

Firemakers were yelling our names, cheering us on. A couple of the younglings were making strange gestures with their hands- good luck charms, maybe?

The ruined and burning ships blurred under us and then we were over the sea, the thundering wingbeats of the Lady behind us.

_**::You will regret this, little pain. I WILL catch you. I always get my prey.::**_

_::You don't know me very well, darling. Sorry to disappoint you, but there's always a first time to fail::_

Even though I sounded like I was happy go lucky, I had never been angrier in my life. This creature was responsible for all the misery I had encountered here between Firemaker and my People.

I also sensed the same anger from my Rider. If anything, he was even more furious than I. The last two days of his life had been hell for him, and this creature was the catalyst for it. He was good and mad.

The mists had seemed to have floated upwards, joining with dark clouds that had marched in from the sea.

_:::Hmm::: _My Rider had managed to calm himself by biting on his lip and was thinking again. _:::The clouds...:::_

"All right, Toothless. It's time for us to disappear."

The ascender clicked in and I plunged my wings. We began to shoot up for the clouds, the wind hissing along my sides.

The Lady hesitated for but a moment, then she was following us, surprisingly graceful for a creature of her mass. I taunted her a bit with a few lunges at her nose and eyes.

_::What's taking you so long, my Lady? I think I'm starting to get grass growing on my wings!::_ I launched at her again, this time actually striking one of her eyes with a claw,_ ::And I just saw three Ice Ages pass by my eyes::_

I was trying to annoy her to get her concentration off balance. I'd already seen she was a one track creature. It would be easier us to attack her if she was unfocused.

She roared at me and let loose a blast of that greasy fire. I swear I could almost feel the mold of decay in the flames!

"Here it comes!" Hiccup yelled from my back as we streaked away from her.

The smoke billowed outwards, showering us with that nasty greasy residue, covering us both in its sootiness, singeing Hiccup's clothes and both of our harnesses. And then we were way above her, slinking into the clouds.

_Ugh. Lovely._

It was a weird, dark world we had entered. I could even feel the electric charges within the clouds.

We heard the wing beats below as the Lady plunged her way up to us.

My Rider shifted, leaning over me so I could see him. I looked up at him and gave him a supportive grin. And he grinned right back at me, teeth gleaming in a soot-darkened face.

Exhausted, blackened with residue from the Lady's flames, singed tunic now hanging in shreds from his thin frame, blood on his nose...none of that hid the fierce determination in his green eyes. I could almost swear he had the heart of a dragon within him.

I don't think I loved him more than at that moment.

He stroked my neck and talked quickly to me.

"Okay- we're gonna strike out at that thing from within the clouds, go for its wings. I swear you can read my thoughts, Toothless. Can you pick up from my mind where I want you to hit it?"

_::Kitten games!::_ I thought back with a laugh_ ::Of course!::._

"If we can get the wings damaged in the right places, the wind and the gravity will take care of the rest."

I purred evilly. This was going to be the best Target Practice ever!

"Now, Toothless! Go invisible." He straightened back up in the saddle.

I let myself sink behind some roiling clouds, barely noticing when electric sparks danced a bit along my smoke blackened hide and, now very tattered, harness.

And along came the Lady, plunging into the clouds, furious.

_**::Where are you, little cripple? Little slave?::**_

She rumbled a threatening growl, and I got the images from her of my bones being ground in her teeth.

We rose up silently above her, two ghosts circling around her head.

"Now!"

I picked up the location from Hiccup and launched out. Banshee scream and plasma blast, and a hole appeared on the Lady's right wing.

_:::Perfect, Toothless!:::_

We did this several times, swooping down to punch hole after hole in the Lady's wings and then disappear like phantoms into the night. I actually saw the Lady start to dip a bit as the wings began to unravel in the centers. She caught onto it, too. Roaring in rage, she struck out with her foul fire.

_**::That! Does! It! Scorch it!::**_

"WATCH OUT!" Hiccup yelled.

Ribbons of filthy red flames twisted around us, and we had to do some serious wing maneuvers and foot pedal shifting to keep out of the way. It was almost eerie how well we anticipated each other.

Then I felt a spark snap on the artificial tail fin. Heat spread up my tail spine as leather caught on fire.

I already began to feel heavier in the air, listing more to the left.

Hiccup twisted in the saddle and I heard him hiss between his teeth, "Helvítis!" and then "Okay... o-okay. Time's up. Let's see if this works."

I picked up that memory from him of us on the beach after our test flight, and about how I had shot that annoying little Sticky Fire Person with my plasma blast. What if we could do that to this creature?

She might not be one of my People, but she was still a fire breather, so the principle had to be the same.

First, though, we needed to get her good and distracted.

I launched at her, dancing around her head, _::You want me, I'm right here!::_

She snapped at me. At this point, she was so angry, her thought voice was just jumbled patterns of fire and fury.

"C'mon! Is that the best you can do?" Hiccup yelled at her.

_::Come and git it!::_

I dove away from her, trying not to notice it was much easier to dive than I would have liked. We did not have much time.

Hiccup directed me to descend even more steeply, so I plunged into a sheer, vertical dive. Gravity pulled me down, and the wind smacked against us stronger and stronger.

The Lady roared and followed us, her cataract-ridden eyes narrowed in concentration.

We both raced towards the ground, she positioned right over me. It was terrifying since all she basically had to do now was open her mouth and snap it shut over both of us.

I could smell the hot gases in her as she was building up more fire to strike us. And the scent of old blood on her teeth. And the smell of my burning tail-fin!

I started to list more than I would have liked.

I heard the left pedal click and I righted again, but I could feel the fin was almost ready to fall apart.

I growled a warning to Hiccup.

"Stay with me, buddy!" he yelled, and I think he closed his eyes, willing himself to stay calm.

The wind screamed louder and louder. I felt my banshee cry start as the gas rose up in my belly. I was ready to strike when he was.

"We're good. We're good. Just a bit longer."

I hissed to myself. We really did not have much time left.

My muscles bunched up, anticipating Hiccup's command

"Hold, Toothless."

I held. And held. And held. I could sense the fire building in her... building higher.

"NOW!" Hiccup shouted.

I somersaulted in the air, flipping until I was facing the Lady's open mouth. I could hear the straps thrum as they held Hiccup in place.

I shot a blast of plasma- my last blast left- into her mouth.

She let out a wordless roar of rage as the plasma exploded with the gas already inside her. She began to explode from the inside out.

Hot air currents from the blast helped me to shoot up and over her, my wings working furiously.

Below I saw she was going too fast now to be able to pull out of the dive. The holes we had punched in her wings now began to crack wider and wider until her wings shredded to pathetic memories.

Then she impacted with the beach below.

Rocks, sand, fire, and, most gruesome, parts of the Lady's corpse were thrown up into the air.

My Rider had to work the pedals like a maniac while I balanced with both sets of my wings, and we dodged in and out of this maze of horrors.

I kept spinning off balance and it was getting harder to control my direction.

I just prayed I could use the hot air from the blast as thermals to coast on, bringing Hiccup and I back to the ground. It was going to be a nasty enough landing as it was.

Then there was a high pitched twanging sound as the high tension ropes on the tail fin system snapped. The tail fin had completely burned off me.

I felt my Rider's left leg pulled violently back and then released back on itself with the snapping ropes. No human bone could take that kind of brutal tension.

I heard him yelp in pain and then his lower left leg was dangling in a very unnatural way in the pedals. His breath came in agonized pants.

_::Hang on!::_ I roared, realizing he no longer would be able to cling to my back with that leg. _::I'll get us down!::_

The Lady had the last laugh.

We both saw the dismembered spiked, club-like tail come flying at us. I screamed, realizing I could no longer control my direction to get us out of the path.

"No! No!" Hiccup screamed. He flattened himself on my back, but it was not flat enough.

There was a terrible thwacking blow as the tail crunched brutally against Hiccup's lower left leg and then along my ribs. I heard bones in both of us crack. The blow knocked Hiccup out of the saddle; all the flight straps were ripped off of the saddle frame.

My right ear burned as the wrist strap was torn from it.

And then we were both falling, thrown in opposite directions from each other.

I could see my Firemaker falling on his back into the burning firewall beneath us, the unattached wrist straps still wrapped around his hands. He was horrifically still.

I screamed and leaped after him.

The next few moments happened so fast that I only had impressions. I remember catching Hiccup in the air, using both teeth and claws, catching him by one of his legs as gently as I could.

Then I had him wrapped in my claws and I dropped my wings around him, protecting him from the wall of fire. I closed my eye lids to protect my eyes. Even if I had a pretty fire resistant hide, this fire was some of the nastiest I had ever encountered. I could feel the pain of it against my scales.

Then we plunged through the firewall into clean, fresh, cold air. I wanted to open my wings but was terrified they would break in the pressure of our fall. Better to keep Hiccup sheltered in them.

I opened my eyes a crack. The ground spun around and around as I careened towards it.

I shut my eyes again and tried to angle my body to make the least impact, but there would be no easy way to do this. At least my body could take more punishment than Hiccup's could.

**WHUMPF!**

I felt light flash behind my eyelids as we made impact. Then I was up in the air again for a moment, only to crash back down again.

The momentum kept dragging me along the beach. My right side screamed in pain as I slid over glass-sharp lava rocks. I heard the snap as one of the girths on my saddle broke.

And then, amazingly...

...silence.

My breath streamed from my nostrils. I felt needles of pain digging into my body, flaring along my ribs, my wings, my raw right side.

The sharp iron smell of blood surrounded both my Rider and I.

_I'm still alive. _

_I think._

I became aware of Hiccup, then, shuddering in my legs. He was in horrible pain and semi conscious. His heartbeat against my chest was so dangerously faint, so fragile...

I curled as best as I could around him and adjusted him so he lay with his face and chest towards me so I could keep him warm. I folded my wings (one of them now injured and very twisted by the fall) around him, protecting him as best as I could against dangers that might come. No matter how weak I was, I would protect him with what strength was left in me. He had been there for for me when my People had abandoned me. Even more, he had given up his tribe and his honor to protect other Tribes of the People, too, to avoid hurting one of them them in the Kill Ring. I owed no less to him.

The heat had probably sealed off our wounds, but I could still smell blood on my hide and on the horribly mangled mess of skin, muscle and shattered bone fragments that was my Rider's lower left leg.

I picked up a faint thought from my semi conscious rider.

_::: So... tired. Leg hurts. I think I want to go to sleep now. Wanna sleep... forever.:::_

_::No!::_ I nudged Hiccup with my muzzle, remembering the time he had sung me back to sanity. _::Stay with me now. Stay with me, now.::_

_:::Let me go, will ya? I´m tired.:::_

_::Stay with me, friend. Stay with me,::_

I kept thinking that to him, crooning to him as I felt him start to relax and slide into total unconsciousness.

It became my litany. Stay with me now. Stay with me now.

My own awareness faded in and out, but I just concentrated on my Firemaker, urging him to hang on, to stay with me.

I felt warm bits of ash dropping on me, covering me in a weirdly snow-like blanket. The ash was warm, but the air surrounding me was very chilly.

I vaguely remembered a song my Rider had sung to me a few times, the words chasing through my memory.

_Have you seen that the red rain_

_Has run into the white seas?_

_On the broad road, the empty road,_

_The wind sleeps in peace._

_There's something you give to no one_

_But yet you gave it to me._

_In return they bring you my broken body,_

_Laying it at your feet._

My next fully aware moment was hearing Stoick's voice, blurred and ringing from my sore sensors. He was calling Hiccup's name and panting in horror and fear.

I heard his steps crunch through lava stones and then his body slump down next to mine.

I fought back against my lethargy, my body protesting in pain. I could not help moaning.

I forced my burning eyelids open. The world in front of me was blurry, but then swam into focus.

A smoke stained and battered Stoick was kneeling in front of me, his head lowered in deep sorrow.

Behind him the other Firemakers were ranged, some already lowering their heads in mourning. I realized Stoick, and the others, believed Hiccup was dead, his body burned away by that beast's flame. In my dizzy pain, I caught the irony of this strange day, that these people had gathered together to mourn the passing of someone they had previously considered a useless, annoying failure. That "useless failure" had just saved all their lives, paying the price with his own.

I could also see the five People who had joined me in the fight against that monster. They also had lowered their heads.

I heard Stoick say, "Ék gerði þetta", he gasped sadly, "Oh, Hiccup."

I did this.

I remembered those same words uttered by a Viking boy above my trapped body in a forest, what seemed to be one million years ago. Now things seemed to be repeating as the father said those same words above my body.

I willed my body to move, but it was so hard. There was something I wanted to show Stoick.

Tears were now gathering in Stoick's eyes, and his voice was choked with sorrow.

I picked up from him that he was sorry for everything he had done to Hiccup in his life. He had taken his boy for granted. He now realized how special his son had been and it was too late. Too damn late.

"I'm so sorry", he gasped, "I´m so s-sorry, Hiccup."

Those words gave me the strength to move my wings. I looked up poignantly at Stoick.

_::R-Remember what y-you just s-said.::_ I gave him a reassuring purr and opened my aching wings, showing him where I had cradled Hiccup during our crash landing.

I pulled my legs apart, the joints cracking, as Stoick lifted his son's battered, sooty and blood-stained body from my side.

Stoick brushed some of Hiccup' smoke blackened hair out the boy's closed eyes. The Viking Chieftain threw off his helmet. He anxiously tore off what was left of Hiccup's ragged tunic that was not covered by the riding harness and placed his head on the boy's burnt, bare chest, ear close to his heart.

"He's alive! Oh, he's alive!" his voice was thick with tears, "You brought him b-back alive!"

He cradled his son's unconscious, broken body against his great chest, love shining in his eyes. Hiccup looked so tiny and frail in his father's powerful, protective arms.

"I will never take you for granted again. I vow this," I heard Stoick whisper.

There were shouts of joy and relief from the other Firemakers. My allies also roared in gratitude that the boy they admired had survived.

I sighed wearily and let my heavy head drop back to the ground.

My eyes became blurry again. I felt Stoick's massive hand tenderly touch me on the face. It was so huge it almost covered my entire head.

"Thank you," Stoick said softly to me, "Thank you for bringing my son back to me."

I let my eyes close, and the last thing I heard before I sank into darkness was Gobber's voice, heavy with sadness, "Well, most of him anyway."


	14. The Door Into Spring

**Chapter 14: The Door into Spring **

**This one is very far out and Heinlein like, so I hope you'll bear with it. This is where, in Heinlein style, I have to throw out a bunch of interesting ideas about history and space, tie up some loose knots and hope it all works out in the end. Oh, and throw in a family friendly hot tub scene, too.**

**The time line theories have their origin with Heinlein's ideas. Many of his books deal with this, and I hope you read some of them and enjoy a mad ride through an alternate view of world history as it could have happened. This is just my poor attempt at the same idea.**

**Hope you like it. And thanks so much for reading! **

**Disclaimer: ****Disclaimer: ** The usual! Also, don't tamper with history unless you are really ready to deal with the consequences. Just in case you are bored and want to see what happens if you change history, you know. There are healthier and less expensive hobbies.

_"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."- _(R. A. Heinlein, "Stranger in a Strange Land")

* * *

Now that I've come to understand Firemakers closely, I am amazed that they have become such a powerful life form. Think of it- except for the Birch Island Vikings, most Firemakers are not that big, so they are at a disadvantage against many predators. They have to make teeth and claws out of iron, for their own are pretty much defunct. Likewise, they have to make their own skin coverings because they don't have scales or thick fur. We People actually have some rather funny creation myths about how Firemakers were late to the convocation when the creators were bestowing survival gifts on the creatures of this world.

In the end, it's their mind and imaginations that make them so powerful. We call them Firemakers because they have mastered creating fire, and I think that was what enabled them to survive.

Anyway, all this is getting me to saying that for all their cleverness, Firemakers are such fragile creatures. It amazes me sometimes how daring they can be when they know they can be hurt so easily. But some of them, like my Rider, choose to take that risk. There is a lot you can criticize about Firemakers, but those like Hiccup show that there is hope for the species.

We People heal much faster, especially the Lightning People. My former People have to be- if you live most of your life in isolation, you can't afford to be sick or injured for a long time. But, then, again, by living in isolation we don't place ourselves in the kind of danger that gets us badly hurt.

As usual, I had to be the one member of my former tribe who was different. And, apparently, both I and my Rider had taken quite a battering.

I know I was not totally senseless during those first days. I got impressions here and there. I remembered someone slicing my harness off of me and marveling at how beautifully it had been designed (Gobber)? There was a whole amazing world of pain as some Firemakers struggled to lift me and turn me onto my left side. I heard someone gasp, and then I blacked out again.

Later, I came to and heard someone's voice saying something like "Poor little fella. After the way we treated him, he had no need to put himself at risk like that. And he took some very evil blows there. Hope he pulls through."

_ ::He'd better::_ I thought sent weakly to them, _ ::Hiccup gave a lot for you and I hope you appreciate it.::_

And someone pet my head- it seemed to be in his lap. It was Stoick! He continued speaking, "Aye, and you consider, his kind had always seen us as enemies, yet he chose to help us. He's a brave little dragon."

Oh. They were talking about me? I was badly hurt? I might not pull through? And where was Hiccup? He had to be hurt worse than I!

Then I think I was lying in some kind of quickly constructed shelter. Apparently no one wanted to risk moving us too far, and we now had five dragons more than willing to ferry back and forth supplies and healers. I heard an older woman giving quiet orders and my head was now in someone else's- Ástríður's - lap.

A Firemaker was spreading a cooling, soothing substance along my right side that smelled like the dragon healing herbs I had shown Hiccup (ahh, so they found his notebook.) And someone else was putting a similar substance on a tear in one of my wings. That same wing had also gotten rather nastily twisted back on itself. (It's harder than it looks to hold your wings around a Firemaker's body when you're being pulled down by gravity onto a hard surface.) My broken ribs were very sore but seemed to be supported by a well woven bandage so I could breathe fairly easily. I heard someone mentioning much of my right side looked like raw meat.

I remember asking over and over again where Hiccup was. I missed him. I was worried about him. Of course the Firemaker healers did not know what I was saying and seemed to think I was moaning in pain.

Finally someone seemed to figure it out because my next awareness was that we had both been placed together in this temporary shelter, him in a makeshift bed with lots of blankets and me curled on my left side around him protectively.

I think people were constantly with us, watching over us. It made me feel reassured in my half consciousness that we had friends. Ástríður, especially, seemed to look out for me. I came to really love and admire her devotion to making sure I was cared for. Apparently, it was indeed she who had broken through Hiccup's fataslitic shock. She had challenged him, gotten him mad, and made him realize he was the key to solving the problem. And she gave him back his courage to lead the other younglings and my allies from the Kill Ring to the Lady's island.

Another youngling, the heavy set blond with the hazel eyes known as Fishlegs, also was very devoted to watching over Hiccup and I. I had never had the chance to know him before the battle with the Lady, but I can honestly say he was kindness itself in his care for Hiccup and I.

Neither of us was unconscious completely. I did see Hiccup open his eyes a few times, but it was with a blind look. He was not aware of his surroundings, and he usually sank back into unconsciousness within minutes. It was during times like this that the Firemakers watching over him had broths and healing drinks on hand to gently pour down his throat, supporting his head and chest with a hand. Some survival instinct in him must have made him willing to drink those offerings. There were herbal medicines in those to keep him asleep and pain free as much as possible. Gothi, the Elder, it turned out, was quite good at the barbarian healing arts. I guess when you have to heal dragon chewed warriors on a regular basis, you get really good at your job.

One thing I did not understand, though, is why each day I seemed to get more and more tired. According to the way we People heal, I should have been up on my feet within a week or two. I also started feeling hot and dizzy, and I felt no interest in eating the good food and water I was given.

I also once overheard Gothi discussing something along the lines that Hiccup's health was stable enough now so they could remove his lower left leg. It was shattered beyond recovery and only would cause problems with infection.

That made my heart sink. In my daze I had seen one of the Elder's assistants changing a bandage on Hiccup's mangled leg one day, and I had seen that my tooth marks were on the upper leg. Those tooth marks would be with Hiccup forever. That broke my heart. Logically I knew that the leg had already been shattered when I grabbed him, and it was not my teeth that had caused the infection. But still… the thought I had had to hurt him in any way to save him tore at my soul.

I came awake when they were making preparations. I had been lying curled up by Hiccup, my splinted wing stretched out by him. . He was not wearing much clothing because of the fever- just the knee length smallclothes trousers these Firemakers wear when they sleep. He was sweating heavily and very pale, his freckles standing out shockingly on him. The Elder had tied a strip of cloth very tightly around his left leg, just below the knee.

Ástríður was by my side, touching my nose. She was sitting between me and Hiccup, my head in her lap, her other hand stroking Hiccup's sweaty hair. I smiled weakly when I caught her kissing his forehead when she thought no one was watching.

Right now she was asking the Elder if I should be taken from the room.

Gothi shook her head, "Look at the poor laddie. He can barely lift his head. What's he going to do to hurt any of us in his condition? I think it would scare him much more to be separated from Hiccup right now."

She gently rubbed my forehead, and I gave her a weak purr. I do not allow many Firemakers to touch me, but the healers and Ástríður had my respect, "He's very smart. He knows what's going on. Let him stay."

_ ::Thank you.::_

The lethargy was heavier in me than ever. I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again.

And, then, I knew exactly what to do. Why had I not thought of this before?_ If the Turkmene and her Rider could link on the Dreampaths, why not Hiccup and I? He was already heavily dosed now. And isn't being unconscious a very deep sort of sleeping?_

_Let's see… how do I do this? He was kind of with me on the Dreampaths when I first gave the Turkmene the data about the dragon attacks._

It was childishly easy to fall asleep in my injured, lethargic state, so I did. As I dozed off, I concentrated on Hiccup and how much we loved flying together. We both missed it, didn't we?

_ Let's forget about all this pain, shall we? Instead of a test flight- we're going on a rest flight!_

And it worked!

The next I thing I knew we were both flying over the sea, the clean and healing wind tearing over us. The sun was out and sparkling on the water. Hiccup was bent low over my back. He threw up a hand and whooped for joy. I roared as an echo.

I realized that I was wearing no harness. Hiccup was not wearing his flight harness either. He was just wearing the lightweight leggings he had been wearing in his sick bed. I noticed I had a perfect tail and neither of us were injured from the battle with the Lady.

_ This is the Dreampaths. Everything can be just the way you want it to be._

He did not have to steer me anymore, but I still wanted him on my back because we were partners who both enjoyed this mad and wild flying. It was also actually nice he could be a passenger for once and just enjoy the ride.

We came in down over a shoreline, and I became aware of some clouds coming in. They were thick and rather ominous.

_ Hey, this is supposed to be the Dreampaths! No bad thoughts, remember?_

The darker mist settled around us, and I landed on the grassy shore. Good thing I did, because my Rider suddenly let out a pain filled cry and threw his arms around my neck, hugging me so hard that my breath was choked off.

"Great gods! It hurts! It hurts!" He yelled and gritted his teeth, "What's going on?".

I felt my heart sink. I thought the Dreampaths hid the real world cares!

"Yo, dragon! Viking! Over here!"

I heard Gatalas' voice and the Turkmene's hoof beats.

Through the darker clouds came Gatalas and the Turkmene. He was riding her with no saddle or harness, and he was just wearing a sleeveless top and knee length trousers. Sarmatian sleep clothes maybe? The only thing the Turkmene was wearing was her usual neck bands, but now she had an additional one.

Gatalas was waving an arm, "Follow us. Now! Don't think about the pain. Just follow us. "

It was hard, since Hiccup was choking off my breath, but I bounded after the dynamic duo.

They took my groaning Rider and I through these dark mists and just to the top of a small hill. There was a small lake near the hill. They galloped down the hill and then leaped right into the water with a magnificent splash. The impact knocked Gatalas from the Turkmene's back.

I took off from the hill, spread my wings and coasted down to the oddly purple lake, gliding over it and neatly landing into the water.

Why does every venture I seem to get into these days involve getting wet?

However, this water was warm, pleasantly warm! I'd get wet every day if I could land in this!

My Rider fell off my back and sunk under the water. He came back up, reaching out for something to grab. That happened to be the Turkmene's neck and he hooked his hand into her new neck band, this one red one with white embroideries of cute geometric flowers and evil little horned skulls. That said worlds about Sarmatian culture right there.

She pulled backwards, dragging him towards the shallow shore area where there were some large rocks, just perfect for leaning against. She flopped on her side against one of the rocks and adjusted her dun, zebra-striped shoulder so my Rider was lying against it. Everything from his chest down was immersed in the water.

What amazing water! It was soft and warm as a sleeping kitten's sighs, and there seemed to be effervescent bubbles that tickled my hide.

This was a much better dream. I heard Hiccup sigh in relief.

_ :::Oh, man, The pain is gone. This feels great.::: _ He slumped against the Turkmene and closed his eyes, one step shy from unconscious.

I myself sighed in relief and let myself curl up on my side in the water, too. What was this place? And did they take permanent residents?

Gatalas had emerged from below the water and shook his long blond hair, splattering us all with this amazing water.

"My tribe calls this part of the Dreampaths the Healing Grounds," he said, wringing out his rib length blond hair. Our healers and priests will take people here who have been injured. Not physically, but mentally and spiritually. We do this while they are sleeping or if they are deeply unconscious. The water heals their souls, and that can help them with their physical healing, too."

It would have sounded like silly stuff if this water had not felt so wonderful. Even the scenery around the lake (now that the annoying black mist was gone) was lovely. It was the steppe land, but the steppe land in the spring, with fierce green grasses and hundreds of species of wild flowers scattered like jewels into the horizon.

Playful birds soared over head, and I saw in the distance a majestic herd of aurochs moving peacefully to new grazing pastures.

I could spend a few years here, I think. Centuries even.

The Turkmene looked at me with a sad smile _ ::And, yes, when we have to amputate someone's limb- a very common occurrence among the Sarmatians, sadly- , we take them here, too mentally during the procedure. You did the right thing going on the Dreampaths.::_

_::I was just lucky you caught me at the right time.:: _ I snorted.

_ ::Heh. We're injured, too, fish breath. That's why we caught a hold of you when you entered here. We got a few nasty souvenirs from some of your People when we cleared out that new nest. But nothing too serious, thankfully. We were dealing with nothing like the monster you and Hiccup had to put down. We call them Red Deaths , by the way. Not because they're red but because of their fire.::_

My Firemaker was breathing easier now, fully relaxed. Gatalas leaned over and touched his forehead gently. Hiccup dropped into sleep, relaxing against the Turkmene's shoulder.

"He has more than enough to cope with, so it's good he stays asleep." Gatalas said softly, "He won't remember any of this, by the way." But he did smile at Hiccup, "Thank you, little brother, for being born. And for being right where you should be."

_ ::So, you were able to root out the problem on your end?:: _ I asked the Turkmene.

She nuzzled my Rider's head, making sure he was comfortable. I thought it interesting that her reddish brown, uneven mane blended perfectly into his reddish brown, uneven hair. ::Yes, thanks to both of you. Your information was valuable to us in coming up with a way to kill our friendly neighborhood Red Death. And since you defeated your much less friendly Red Death, the one who has been setting up all these colonies, the biggest threat is over.::

Gatalas splashed backwards to me, "If you don't mind, your Viking's kidnapped my ride. Mind if I lean against your shoulder?"

_ ::You're just jealous because you don't have as pretty of teeth as he does, Rider.:: _ The Turkmene snickered evilly._ :: As you know, the horse is the most supreme icon of beauty.::_

"In your dreams. Unfaithful as always, Horsebutt. But you're still my best friend, ma'am."

_ ::Ditto, Rider.::_

I gestured with my muzzle that it was all right for Gatalas to use me as a bed rest. I knew already Hiccup was my Only Rider. He had earned my respect. I would never allow anyone else to ride me. Maybe, if someone gave a really convincing argument (fish are a good unit of currency) I might allow him or her to be a passenger. However, no one will ever be my Rider but Hiccup.

Even allowing someone to lean against my side while I rested was something I would usually not accept.

But I would do it for Gatalas.

He bowed to me and then lay against my shoulder, letting the warm water lap over his body. "I thank you, dragon. "

I shifted lower in the water, taking in its soothing warmth. I noticed that there was some strange color now in the water, a kind of thick, milky substance blending into the amethyst lake.

I snorted in surprise. When I looked closer, I realized the substance was drifting up from my skin.

The Turkmene's lovely brown eyes met mine, and I realized for the first time that horses have horizontal bars as pupils. Her eyes were solemn.

_ ::We didn't only come here for your Hiccup. Don't you remember when we were crossing the steps and one of those things bit you?::_

I shivered a bit, remembering the way that the bite had numbed my leg. That bite had been from a juvenile. I had forgotten that those creatures were venomous in addition to their other many charming qualities.

_ ::It's in their teeth and their tail spikes. Your Rider got the blow- you got the venom. Those beings are good at mind control, and their venom is likewise. It acts on your mind, slowing down the functions until you just drop into a sleep… and then stop breathing.::_

So_ that's _ why I was so lethargic.

_ ::The waters here act on healing the mind, so the venom is being drawn out now.::_

_::Would I have… died?::_ My breath caught in my throat.

The Turkmene leaned forward and nuzzled my forehead. There really did not seem to be much more to add to that eloquent statement.

For a moment there was only peace, although I heard some insects singing.

I shook my muzzle to clear some water drops off it _ ::It's just always amazing how you two always seem to show up just when I need you. :: _ I thought sent to both of them, who seemed just on the verge of falling asleep themselves. I had to keep reminding myself they had been hurt as well.

_ ::Just doing our job,:: _ thought sent the Turkmene, _ :: You know that the military Dragon unit Gatalas and I are in operate much like Signalers for the Steppes. We guide your kind- as well as ordinary travelers- through a region that is no easy walk in the garden of delight. But we always have been on the lookout for Asian dragons- especially Lightning People. We wanted to make sure we got as many Lightning People making it alive over the plains and into the west as possible.::_

Gatalas perked up more and jumped in, "To be honest, Toothless, we knew there was a problem going on in Europe, just not really what it was- only that it impacted dragons. We Sarmatians have a saying that only a dragon can defeat a dragon. We learned the hard way that it is a real dragon, not a Sarmatian dragon unit. So, we'd better find some dragons to help out with the problem. But those dragons would have to have something like what we Sarmatian archers have, but with a human and dragon working together. The problem is that no one has ever thought of actually getting a dragon to accept a human Rider."

He grinned at me, "Asian dragons were the best hope since you have not been affected by the anger and hostilities in Europe, and Lightning People are the ones most likely to be traveling between Asia and Europe because of those Signaler duties. Your journeying would also give you a more open mind. So, my lovely nag here and I and I always kept a look out for helping Lightning People during our shifts and trying to plant the idea in their minds that having a Rider and Dragon relationship can be a good thing."

_ ::Must have been loads of fun:: _ I stuck my tongue at them, thinking of just how most of my former People would have tolerated that notion. I was one of them.

The Turkmene sent me an image of a group of cats in a harness together, each cat doing its own thing.

I got the idea.

_ ::You were actually our favorite Person we brought over the Plains:: the Turkmene said with a nicker, ::You were as sarcastic as the others, but you were fun to be around- you have a bounciness and a joy of life most Lightning People don't have.::_

"So many of them are too busy trying to be perfect," Gatalas said with a yawn.

_ ::That's why we were so delighted when it turned out you did bond with a Rider. There's no guarantee you would, of course- we just had to set the possibility up. Your Hiccup here is not what I would have guessed as Rider material, but I like his style. You were smart to bond with him. You've got a good head on his shoulders.::_

I nodded, proud of my Rider.

_ :: Another question, Horsebutt. These Red Death thingies- are they native to the Steppes?::_

I got the impression that was the question to open a basket of eels.

"Hoo boy", Gatalas blew through his teeth and laughed a bit, "This is a hard one to explain, and it's good your Rider is asleep or he'd think we were totally lost in the realms of the unreal. You should know the whole situation, though. You see, those creatures don't come from this world- or even this time line."

I closed all my eye lids _ ::Yup, you're crazy. But go on. I have nothing better to do at the moment except ooze venom into this lovely lake..::_

Gatalas laughed, "Well, then. Here you go. Most of us think of history and time as being something that travels in a line. What they don't know is we only see one line, but there are actually many, many other lines. Some are very different, and some share similar events, but then they split apart from each other based on a crucial event.

"All these time lines fit together side by side."

He held the first finger of each hand parallel, water running from his hand. I noticed his positioning was a bit off.

"Usually there's no problem with that- it's only when you get problems with boundaries blurring and even fragmenting between time lines. Then there is a chance of beings from one line crossing over impacting another- that's when we all need to take action."

_ Oh. I'll bite ::So these Red Death creatures are from another time line and have figured out how to get to our reality?:: I remembered how weird the Steppes were with all the mirages ::And the Steppes are one of those areas where you have this torn boundary?.::_

Gatalas clapped his hands and the Turkmene let out a happy whicker.

_ ::It actually has a brain!:: _ she laughed.

I splashed her, trying hard not to hit Hiccup and wake him up.

Gatalas picked up on the information, now, "The world they come from, our priests and astronomers believe, is one where Earth always remained volcanic. These Red Deaths are a highly productive life form and overpopulate fast, so the offspring are always looking for new places to establish colonies. The torn boundary allows them to slip into your timeline, and they are very good at taking hold here. So our unit is always on the lookout to catch them before they get too established here. But some get away before we can find them. And some got away long before our unit came to this timeline. Probably your Red Death was in that category."

_ ::'Your timeline?' It's your time line, too::_ I pointed out.

They just looked at me with "he's just is so slow, isn't he, the poor child" smiles.

_ ::Except for when it isn't?:: _ I asked sheepishly

Truly, I could give an eel's sneeze about Firemaker history, but this seemed to be important, so I let my crazy friends (getting crazier all the time, it seems) talk more.

Gatalas did the talking now, "Well, to put it simply- the Sarmatian people died out a very long time ago on this timeline. Old campsites we've found showed that the Sarmatians here were completely obliterated by a disease a long time ago. We're from another time line- the time historians who keep track of these call it the Caesar line. That's because in our time line there was a huge empire of Firemakers that covered Europe, parts of Asia and Africa. These Firemakers were known as Romans. In this timeline- yours- the Roman Empire never grew as powerful as it did in ours.

"Anyway, even in our Caesar time line the Sarmatians were defeated by the Romans long before now. So even in our time line's 11th century we don't exist anymore as the dragon tribes, those loveable barbarians who drink from the skulls of our enemies!"

_ ::Hiccup's people make helmets out the breast plates of their most beloved Viking women after they die.::_ I added helpfully.

Both the Turkmene and Gatalas looked at each in squeamishness,.

_ ::Okay, you win.:: _ The Turkmene said ::You Vikings are more barbaric.::

"Anyway, our tribes were defeated by the Romans almost 1,000 years ago in our timeline. The Romans sent most of our Dragon troops to Scotland, not far from your Birch Island. But there were a few units that were chosen by some Roman time historians to come over to this timeline and be the protectors and guardians of the steppe lands. So my nag and I were part of that unit. We came with our families and flocks. It was a chance to start over in a world similar to what we knew, but in a new time line. We just have to fight with some nasty beasties and help travelers through, but it's a great life."

_ ::But isn't that like messing with time?::_

The Turkmene shook her mane, _ ::Yes, and it is a risk. But when the Red Death creatures came over, they also messed up the timeline. In a way, we're replacing the Sarmatians that were obliterated here.::_

I was not quite sure how to take all this in. And, yet again, I had felt the weirdness of the steppe lands when I crossed it.

_ Plus, Toothless, _ I told myself, _ you have to admit the Lady- the Red Death- was not at all something natural to this world._

Her wings were too small to support her, yet she flew. She had way more eyes than dragons really need. She used mind control instead of mind speech. She had a mind control venom. She was, for all purposes, an alien creature who had invaded our world.

The milky liquid streaming from my skin was now starting to thin out, so hopefully the venom had almost leached out of me.

I yawned, feeling nicely relaxed. _ ::So if you and your Dragon unit are some sort of time police, does that mean Hiccup and I will be, too? But in the North Atlantic?::_

I actually rather liked that idea.

_ ::Hmm… some days I think we're more time clean up crew than time police, but nice analogy. That's really up to you and Hiccup. But you should not think about it for now. Instead focus on healing and helping your People and the Firemakers to understand each other:: The Turkmene snorted gently ::That might be your ultimate Calling.::_

"Plus, the notion of fierce warriors like the Vikings having flying allies like the People brings up a whole new challenge" Gatalas said, his pale, unfocused blue eyes solemn, "You Vikings can bring a lot of good into this world, but you can also make it an even more horrifying place with an invincible invading force. You'll probably need to have some very good leaders make sure Option Number Two never happens."

I heard them both, but I admit my mind was stuck behind on the words "focus on healing"

_ ::Toothless?:: _ the Turkmene asked as I turned my head away from them.

I told them sadly _ ::How can I even think of a future? My poor Rider has lost a leg::_

The Turkmene nodded in understanding, :_ :But you, yourself, Toothless, know that does not mean life stops. It just goes on differently. You've proven that brilliantly::_

_::But that's for me::_ I turned back to them, my eyes burning. Damn it, I hate crying, and I've been doing way too much of that lately. Bad dragon.

Of course, before I got into this whole adventure, I've only cried once before in my life- when my father died. I have a lot of catching up to do, I guess.

_ ::I lost a tailfin. Okay, I can't fly, and that is a bad thing, but I can still walk. It's different for Firemakers. They only have two legs. It's not just problems with walking… now he won't even be able to stand up without help. And he loves to run and do back flips and he could swing up so easily on my back. But not any more. And every time I see his leg and see my teeth marks on it, I'll always know…::_

Gatalas reached up clumsily to catch me under the chin. He brought my head to his shoulder, patting me on the face, brother like.

"You only saved his life, Toothless. You grabbed him by the one part of him that was already injured beyond recovery, listen to me, buddy. You did not hurt him. You saved his life. Never. Forget. That."

_ ::But what kind of life does he have before him? I'm so afraid when he wakes up and sees he's an amputee, it'll break his heart. And he's been through so much already!::_

The Turkmene snorted and touched my Rider's sleeping head gently with her muzzle, _ ::I think he's surprised everyone up to now with his strength. Besides- remember- he's not facing this alone. He has the best friend in the world ever by his side. By the way, Gatalas? Can you help me with this?::_

Gatalas released my head with a pat, nodded and leaned away from me. He reached out to hook a hand clumsily into the new red and white skull neck band the Turkmene was wearing.

He told me, "We used to decorate the harnesses of our horses with scalps of our slain enemies, but that did not sit well with the Romans, for some strange reason. So now, when a horse and soldier do an especially great deed in battle, we acknowledge it with a neck band. Even though the Rider and Horse won it, we display it on our horse's neck because it was his or her legs that carried us to victory."

_ ::Congratulations on your victory.::_ I said. It seemed to be polite.

_ :: I thank you, but actually I just wore it in here because it's meant for you and Hiccup. A gift of thanks from our tribe to the two of you.::_

I was quite touched by this but also I knew this was a dream. That lovely gesture was just symbolic, not real. But it meant we had support and loyalty from allies across the seas and plains.

Gatalas was having trouble untying the band. The Turkmene had to help a bit, but he did manage to bring it to me. I let him tie- or attempt to tie- it around my ear sensor. It took a few tries, but he did. Awkward, but it worked.

I stared at him for a moment as he finished. Then I flicked an ear sensor right near his eyes.

He did not blink, did not react, just finished off his sloppy knot.

I sighed and asked the Turkmene _ ::How long as your Rider been blind?::_

She laughed softly, _ ::Since he was thirteen. He had a bad blow on his head during an invasion::_

My jaw hung open, _ ::You mean – when you went with me across the steppes? When we fought those juvenile Red Death creatures? When he shot arrows… he was blind?::_

_::And…?:: _ The Turkmene asked me.

:She gave a happy little snort, _ ::How do you think we bonded? The useless burden on the tribe? The blind boy? I just happened to be a new addition to the herd, a trade with a neighboring tribe. I was a shy little yearling filly, lost and scared. He took the time to talk to me and put me at ease. We, of course, pretended to ignore each other, but we sought each other's company out everyday. And, then, we bonded.::_

"She is 'my eyes'," Gatalas said, patting me. "I am able to see what she sees, so when I am on her back or near her, I am not blind. Granted, it's what a horse sees- they see two images at once , but that can be an advantage in battle."

_ ::And Gatalas has other senses that compensate for his lack of vision. Together we work as a very good unit. Once the others in the tribe saw how well we worked together as a team on hunting expeditions, they accepted us in to the Dragon troop. We aced the course, so to speak. So, we are as much of a Dragon fighter as any other, even if my Rider is blind.::_

There was my answer.

I could sense this dream coming to an end, so I asked quickly, _ :: Horsebutt- you never told me your Firemaker name.::_

She laughed softly, _ ::Gatalas just told you what it is. Think it through. You'll figure it out.:::_

Dreams end, as always, and sometime later, I awakened. I already felt much better. The few stray sea winds that wafted into our cozy shelter felt welcome, not painful. I could hear Hiccup's breathing near mine, and it was normal.

I craned my head up, now feeling for the first time like I could move without pain or heaviness.

The little shelter showed no signs of the amputation, but I knew it was over now. The area had been scrubbed clean, and the fresh scents of Firemaker soap and healing herbs filled the air.

I glanced at my Firemaker, who now slept on his back, dosed with sleeping medicines. He had new covers and blankets pulled up to his neck. I could see the gap in the blankets of where his lower left leg was now missing.

For a moment my heart sank, but then I remembered my friends from Sarmatia. Gatalas was blind and yet, thanks to his bond with the Turkmene, he could get by very well.

I could do no less for Hiccup. I would be the missing leg for him, let him lean against me, carry him when he got tired.

So what if we never flew again? We were together.

_ ::So, we'll just do our work on the ground. Besides, thanks to you, Rider, I know now the ground is not a bad place to live. Not when I have friends like you by my side. ::_

One of the healers heard me stir and came to me. She touched my face. Then she felt my Rider's forehead.

"They're both feeling much cooler, now. Thank the gods for that"

Her hands brushed against my ear sensors, "But what is the dragon wearing tied around his ear? It's some sort of woven band- red with lots of little white skulls with horned helmets?"

I laughed softly. What a weird world we live in. And a wonderful one at that.

* * *

I got better in leaps and bounds. We both did. Eventually we were well enough that we could be moved onto one of the remaining boats that had been left behind in the village.

That boat came to pick us up, and we sailed back to the village. The healers still wanted Hiccup to be left medicated and in bed to recover more. He had a group of friends to watch over him, making sure he got fed and cared for. His bed had actually been moved down to the main living area of the house, just so I would have the space to be near him. Most nights I slept on the floor beside the bed with my head on his pillow or on his chest, matching my breath to his.

I sang my People's lullabies to him, I told him stories from my People, and I shared memories of our times together. I told him of my journey across the continents to get to Birch Island. I wanted to hold his mind together, to give him something nice to cling to in that unconscious world of his. The Firemakers who sat with me often did the same. Many sang him songs, many told him stories. Most simply told him how grateful they were to him.

It was hard to get me to leave Hiccup's side, but some of the Kill Ring People (already becoming known among the People as the First Five) would urge me to get up and go out and exercise. It was hard at first, but the exercise did a lot of good. I still could not fly, so this was completely walking.

One dawn, Skybird and the eloquent Lava Person, Oakheart (he had bonded with Fishlegs and the two seemed to enjoy each other's intellect) urged me to head out of the village. There was something "I had to see- reports of Lightning People flying towards our island." We joined the Self Burner and the Two Headed Person and made our way out. Only the Little Sticky Fire Person stayed behind in the village. She had volunteered to watch over Hiccup for me.

The Firemaker guards of the village gave us no notice. They were used to us by now. They saw as something like cats who came and went as we pleased. It was October. The last phase of fall was approaching, and even last night there had been a heavy frost that covered the village in delicate fairy ice sculptures. The breath streaming from our nostrils was so thick I thought we could make blankets from it to keep us warm.

Sore as I was, I kept pace with my friends. There were many times I had to stop and rest, though, panting with exhaustion. Skybird and Oakheart would just brace against me while I rested. No one said anything. I purred gratefully for their support, and we moved onwards. I eventually flopped my splinted wing over the Lava Person's back so he could support it for me. There was some rumor the splint would come off in the next few days, and I was mightily glad of that.

Ahead of me, the Two Headed Person had learned a new purring round and was trying it out with each of his heads taking a part. We had to tell him to keep the noise down.

Firewyrm, the Self Burner, rolled her eyes when each of the heads kept telling us it was busy at the moment singing the round and please ask the other head. We just gave up after a while. Two Headed People defy all understanding.

My friends took me to a large heath overlooking the sea. By now there was a myriad of People moving around the heath uncertainly. They had come here after the fight with the Lady. They were still too shy to approach the village, but they were very curious about the Firemakers, so they would not leave. It was an amazing sight- all the hues and shapes of the main Peoples in this area milling together and talking. People at joy, not enthralled. My memory stone recorded this moment of wonder.

Suddenly we heard the sound of a Lightning Person swooping down very fast on us.

Skybird snarled and Oakheart let out a warning snort. But the dive bomber did not strike. Instead it wheeled around us and landed delicately in front of us. Four other dark flashes landed behind it. They were all Lightning People.

I felt a growl of challenge rise in my throat, _::Guys. This might get unpleasant. You can go if you like:: _

_::Are you kidding, Toothless?:: _ Skybird hissed at the Lightning People.

_::You will not get me to leave your side, my friend.:: _ rumbled Oakheart, _:You will just have to deal with that disappointment. Shall we not take this on together?:: _

_::I'm with you:: _ Firewyrm snarled.

_::We are too,:: _ Said one of the Two Headed Person's heads.

_::Speak for yourself!:: _ snarled the other head, and looked pointedly at me, clearing its throat, _ ::Uh, what he said.:: _ (The first head rolled its amber eyes)

The five of us growled at the Lightning People

_::I must give you fair warning, brothers and sisters. You take what remains of your meager lives in your paws if you should but lay a single talon on this young friend of mine:: _ Oakheart mind-sent a challenge.

Skybird lifted her quilled tail to a threatening position.

_::You chose to reject him:: _ Firewyrm hissed _ ::He's ours, now. And we don't like to share.:: _

The Lightning Person in the lead nodded in respect to all of us. She was female and elderly, but that was all she had in common with the Elder I had dealt with at my banishment.

_::Greetings, young one:: _ she said softly. She was actually quite elderly, but I sensed her heart was young with curiosity about the world- just the way a Lightning Person should be. _ ::We came to return something that has been taken from you unfairly. And to ask your forgiveness.:: _

The others behind her ducked their heads in agreement.

_::Who are you?:: _ I asked, my heart not sure if it wanted to plunge or to rise.

_::The new North Atlantic Signalers:: _ the new Elder said with a dragon smile _ ::It was obviously time for a change. You were the wake up call for us… Toothless I believe that is what you call yourself, right?.:: _

_::Yes.:: _I said, with pride.

A young Lightning Person- even younger than I- whose blue-black hide still had a few flashes of pewter in it gave me a quick bow _ ::Skyburst from the Sheep Islands, sir. You won our admiration when we heard about how you almost lost your life- you and your Firemaker both- protecting both our species. Even though you were both outlawed, you still chose to fight for us all, anyway.:: _

The Elder nodded again, _ :: Several of us are Signalers from other regions, mostly in Asia, though one of us, Sandwhisper over there from the Hilt Islands, was a Signaler in Abyssinia. We heard about this after the event on the network. It truly upset us that one of our kind was punished for doing the right thing and he also had to solve it on his own, for the most part. That's not the legacy I want my grandchildren to hear about their People.:: _

The youth, Skyburst, jumped in again, _ ::So, some of us demanded an emergency convocation, threatening to stop Signaling unless our People did something about this situation in the North Atlantic where Signalers choose to not get involved. The convocation council realized that for too long we Lightning People have been choosing isolation over involvement, to the point it has blinded us. You showed us all that we truly do need to get involved.:: _

A middle aged female Lightning Person- that was Sandwhisper- added in her thoughts in a richly accented thought voice that had the echoes of soothing desert winds in it _ :: All of us you see here, volunteered to come here and be the new Signalers. We all have some experience, except for that cute young punk Skyburst over there, but none of us have worked in Europe before. We were hoping you'd help us learn our new region.:: _

I shook my head, amazed, _ ::Ah- ah, of course. But what happened to the others?:: _

The new Elder (that's a contradiction of terms, isn't it) lowered her head, _ ::They seemed to have been affected by that … creature even if they never met her, so they cannot be blamed totally. But they also chose not to listen to your warnings, and you gave them many. We are helping them reform from this. But part of their recovery means that since they wanted to be isolated, they will have to spend some time cut off from the memories of the Lighting People. Not forever- but we want them to understand what they put you through.:: _

I shuddered in memory. It was a fitting judgment. Hopefully they would find new purposes in their lives, and they would have more compassion in how they dealt with others.

The Elder purred gently at me _ ::Hopefully we don't need to ask you to lie on your back, Toothless, and you'll just let us open your connection back to us again.:: _

Nope. I was a willing volunteer. And when I felt the rush of memories and connections rush back it, I felt like I had been born all over again. It was as though someone had melted a rainbow with flames, and all the bright, liquid colors now flowed down into my memory stone.

Best of all were the memories of my mother and sisters, all still alive and well. _ Oh, you're back! You're back! _

I laughed with joy and then roared loud enough to echo around off the rocks for some minutes afterwards.

I noticed then that we had an audience. The mingling People of various tribes had gathered to watch the show. The Lightning People… my People again… tend to get noticed like that when more than one of us is in one place together.

I tried to ignore the audience as the Elder asked me _:: Do you forgive us, Toothless?:: _

I spread my good wing to its full length, the moon picking out the stripes and spotted patterns ghosted in the blue-black sail-hide, _ ::I forgive you, yes. But I'll never forget, though. You'll have to earn that, I 'm afraid.:: _

_::Well spoken:: _ said one of the Signalers.

Still feeling in awe of having my connection restored , I said _ ::Thank you, my People.:: _

I started to duck down to bow to the Signalers in gratitude.

The Elder growled sharply at me, and I raised my head, confused.

_::You have it all wrong, Toothless.:: _

Instead, she lowered herself down into a bow, her muzzle dipping to the ground.

Behind her the other Lightning Signalers did the same, bowing to me in gratitude.

And all the other People behind them bowed low until I was the only Person standing, surrounded by a colorful, magnificent array of Peoples.

There was a selfish little part of me (the Target Practice part) that thought, _ this is awesome! _

But most of me was moved and even a little humbled. What was I- just a smallish youngling, a rather battle scarred dragon at the moment? But I was moved to the bottom of my heart. I thanked them deeply and silently said a prayer to all the gods I would make sure every action of my future life would justify these People's confidence in me.

* * *

Eventually the Elder and her healer assistants decided to let Hiccup come back around. They began to decrease his medicines. By now the blacksmith had finished making a new artificial leg for Hiccup, and he came in one morning to attach it to the remaining flesh and blood limb.

The Elder accompanied him, and together they gently fitted it on, tying it in place with soft leather straps.

I watched them cautiously, ready to attack if they hurt my friend in any way, but they were gentleness itself.

Outside we were getting a strange bit of weather that was oddly spring like. It's not unusual in this part of the world where warm and cold winds meet so violently, especially in the volatile fall.

The temperature today was warmer, even spring like. Some areas around the village were even beginning to sprout grass. The Firemakers, knowing this warm weather often heralds an incoming snow storm, were all out with some of my People, securing boats for the winter, battening down window shutters, bringing the poultry, sheep and horses into the barns that were built below the houses. (Apparently the warmth of the farm animals helps keep the Firemakers warm as well during the winter).

The blacksmith wiped his eyes when he was done fastening the limb, muttering softly that Hiccup was too young for this. He and Gothi gently pulled the blankets back over my Firemaker's half naked, scarred body and exited the house.

Gothi turned to me with a little bow.

"We put this on Hiccup because we know he will come to later today, and he needs to get used to it. We did not give him any sleeping medicine, so expect him to awaken sometime after noon. Keep watch over him, m'lord Dragon, until then. Come get me if you or he needs any help."

_::Of course, my Firemaker Lady :: _ I ducked my head back to her as she swept regally from the house.

* * *

_::And so,::_ I told my sleeping Rider on the morning of this strange spring like day, _::That's all you need to know to survive if you are lost in an Icelandic forest. First, stay calm. Second, stand up. Ahh. Yes. Glad to see you found that funny. I did, too. Well. You just rest up, friend. I'll be right here by your side, my head on your chest. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?::_

_Oh, I miss you, Hiccup. Please wake up soon. _

I guess it was about mid afternoon when I heard his breathing change. It became less heavy, more normal. I heard him snort a bit, as if he were starting to shake off sleep.

I pulled my head off his chest, a bit of hope jumping along my spine. It had been way too long. It seems funny that back in August, I would have been embarrassed by all this sentimentalism on my part. Now, I was overjoyed that my best friend was finally getting better.

_::Hey there, Hiccup. Are you in there somewhere? It's a lovely day outside. Come out and enjoy it.::_

Sensing his body was ready to wake up, I started bunting him in the face gently, licking him. I thrummed and purred, urging him to awake.

He blinked his eyes, half opened them and closed them again. I think he may have blacked out again.

Snorting, I nudged him, blowing his hair back from his face. His untrimmed hair was much longer. The bangs in front now fell to his cheekbones and the hair in back brushed the tops of his shoulders. He had been kept under medication for quite a while.

Groaning a bit, he regained his senses and struggled to open his eyes again, dazed and barely conscious, "H-hey… Toothless."

I purred. He opened his eyes wider and smiled when he saw me. I leaned over him, put my front paws on the bed and its thick covers and starting licking him. I was so relived after such a long time of watching and waiting, and I could not contain the joy in my heart.

_::Glad you're back again, stranger!::_

I thought he was going to pass out again. He fought it for a moment. Then, taking a breath he stiffly wrapped his arms around me, the blankets falling off around his bare shoulders and chest. I tried not to notice that he still had heavy strapping on his broken left wrist. And his ribs were still strapped but with a lighter bandage. Otherwise, the various burns on his body were healing nicely.

"I-I'm happy to see you, too, bud," he said to me in a hoarse voice.

I leaned onto the bed, trying to nuzzle him more, but I wound up stepping accidentally on his left thigh.

"Arrrrrghhh!" he yelped, clutching at his left thigh and hunching over in pain.

_::Oh, I'm sorry about that, Hiccup!::_

Trying to distract him from the _you-know-what_ I stepped back and sat down, wriggling in joy. I should have been embarrassed, but I was so full of happiness. My Hiccup was awake!

Hiccup glanced around the room, shaking his now-long, auburn hair from his deep green eyes.

"Ahhh, huh? Ahh- I'm here… in my… house?"

Then a glance at me.

"_You're _here… in my… house?"

_::Yup. Right so far! Nothing gets past your eagle eyes, does it? Oh, frozen hells, I am SO HAPPY YOU ARE OKAY!::_

Throwing all my dignity into the rubbish heap, I started to dance and leap around the house in joy. I leapt up to the ceiling and bounced off a few walls. There was that satisfying crunch that comes from knowing one has toppled over household items. (I guess my Target Practice tendencies are deep-rooted in me.)

"W-wait… d-does… Dad know you're… here?" Hiccup put his bandaged wrist to his head and let himself drop back to the pillows, eyes closing for a moment.

Concerned, I jumped back down and came by his side, bunting him and purring.

He opened his eyes again and looked dizzily back at me.

Overjoyed and relieved, I went back to my professional frolicking. Trying to get Hiccup to laugh, I leapt back up to the rafters and balanced myself there, pretending to be a cat.

_::Meow!::_I told him and purred extra loud.

"Toothless! Aw, come on! Uh... wha'...?"

Before I could come back with a disgustingly cute comeback, Hiccup lifted up the bed sheets. He looked down.

A look of horrified surprise chased across his face, and then he lowered his eyes in sadness. He sighed softly, his eyes now a blue green of sadness.

I leapt down from the rafters and approached the bed, lowering my head. My wings drooped and I could not suppress a moan of sorrow.

_:: I'm so sorry, my friend. I was not there to protect you from this.::_

Hiccup sighed again and leaned back, pulling the blankets aside. He swung himself over to my side of the bed.

I saw one leg with its bare foot come down onto the wooden floor.

And the other leg with the artificial limb now attached to a fair distance below the knee. It was made of wood on the top and had a streamlined metal bottom part where the foot would have been. The whole thing was tied onto him with leather bindings, themselves protected from touching his bare leg skin with strips of lambs wool tied around his leg. The stump of his leg had been gently wrapped in bandages to cushion it against the artificial limb.

It made an interesting squeaking noise as it absorbed the mild shock of impact with the floor.

I sniffed at it in amazement. It was a very clever replica of Firemaker joints and bones.

But I would have given both my tailfins and my second pair of wings to have the real thing in front of me instead.

I raised my head to meet my Firemaker's eyes.

The look he gave me tore at my heart; it was one of shocked surprise, tinged with sorrow and confusion.

His thoughts were a crazy mess.

_:::I actually expected to die, but I'm still alive, I've got another chance at life! Sure, I thought I'd get hurt… but to lose part of my leg?. I'm just a kid! Why do these things happen? But isn't that what being a Viking is about- you make your decision and stick to it, and you accept what happens. I hope people don't feel sorry for me. Gaah! They'd better not. I won't let them. Butbutbutbutbutbut - How'm I going to do the things I used to? Running? Climbing trees, scaling the canyon walls? No. I can't now. Life's just gonna have to be... different from before. But- oh no- how will I be able to help Toothless now that my steering leg is gone?... Oh, Toothless…:::_

Flying meant nothing to me anymore. I was glad he was back, and we would be together, even if we were ground bound to the end of our days.

But I felt terrible for his loss. I bunted his shoulder, purred and sent to him the same message I had sent on the day he had freed me at the edge of the canyon.

_::What's done is done. A newly hatched Lightning Person cannot go back into the shell. He has to step forward and go on with his life.::_

I can't say for sure, but I think he might have caught that thought from me, because a new look came over his face. He took in a shivery breath that might have been sob, but then he blew it out with a look of determination on his burn scarred face. He was ready to face his future.

_:::Well, I won't know until I try this thing out. Here goes… something.:::_

He sighed again, even more determined. I stepped back from him as he stood up to give him some room.

The first step on the new limb went well. A little wobbly, but not bad. I could see, though, the pain in his eyes. When he took the second step, he lost his balance and yelped in pain.

"ARRGHH!"

Immediately I leapt in front of him and lowered my head, letting his upper body fall on my head so he did not hit the floor.

He clung to me, hissing in pain for a moment, catching his breath. I purred reassuringly at him.

_::I'm right here. I won't let you fall.::_

Gently I raised my head, pushing my Firemaker back onto his feet. He smiled weakly and rebalanced himself again, wincing in pain and dizziness.

"Okay, thanks, bud." He whispered hoarsely.

He started limping for the door, and I matched him step for step, letting him balance his arms on my head and shoulder so that I half carried him.

We moved together, my Firemaker's strange new limb squeaking as he put weight on it, but working surprisingly like a flesh and blood leg and foot. Hiccup grunted in pain and exhaustion, and he leaned heavily on me, but we made it across the floor.

_::Right. There ya go. We're a team. We watch each other's back. You helped me, now it's my turn to help you. We'll get through this… together.::_

As we walked, I had to shift my weight to help support Hiccup. My amputated tail swished across the floor. For a brief moment it curled around Hiccup's amputated leg.

We shared a similar gaze and I saw my own eyes reflected back in his, which now had turned back to their beautiful original, dragon-like green color.

We had become even more alike than ever- a true bond of brothers. It reminded me of something my mother had once told us, that the brother and sister of your soul is not always the one who shares your hatching day.

We stopped at the front door. My Rider leaned against, trembling in exhaustion. He had to catch his breath for a moment and wipe the sweat from his forehead. It was going to take some time before he could move easily with his new leg, but he _was_ determined to master it.

Curiously, he opened the door and looked out- just to slam it.

He'd seen one of the People flying by, and of course did not realize things had changed ever so slightly over the past weeks.

"Stay here, okay?" He opened the door again.

I sat down next to him and the two of us looked into a very different world from the one Hiccup had been born into. There were plenty of my People out there, but now we were mingling in with the Firemakers. We were helping them out with hauling supplies to the storm cellars, pulling fish catches into the shore, helping batten down hatches. A few dragon kittens ran down the village road, bouncing around and playing with some Firemaker children.A young Firemaker girl curled up near a young Two Headed person, reading poetry from a book to her new dragon friend. Of course, in the sky Firemakers rode some of my People, enjoying the bond and the thrill of flight. The torches that I had once shot down in Target Practice had now been turned into feeding basins where my People could come to enjoy the fish that both Firemakers and People captured together.

Hiccup's eyes were wide and amazed. Of course he would not believe what he saw. He stepped out of the house, this time catching his weight correctly on the new limb so he only wobbled slightly. He gazed around him, arms crossed on his bare chest, trying to keep warm against the spring like breeze.

"I knew it!" he said to me, "I'm dead!"

Heavy footsteps clumped behind my Firemaker. It was his father. "Nope," Stoick said, "But you gave it your best shot."

He laughed gently and affectionately at his son, putting an arm around him, warming him up against the cool air, "So, what do you think of all this?"

He took my place, letting his son lean against him as they walked down the path the divided their house from the rest of the village below the hill.I was content for the moment to watch the two of them together as they walked. They truly had a lot in common even if most people did not see it right away.

I know my father and I would never get to enjoy walking together, simply enjoying each other's company. It made me feel wonderful inside that my best friend and his father would get that chance. And they were both smart enough to take advantage of it.

There was still a lot of sadness in my heart, too, at seeing my young Rider walking by his father, but with a heavy limp. He had such a permanent injury and he was not even a grown man yet. I admired how he carried himself- limping but with a quiet sense of pride. In a way he was walking on one and a half legs and a very big heart.

"There he is!

"

"It's Hiccup!"

"Hey, Hiccup is awake again!"

A flock (or whatever you call it) of Firemakers came running up the hill to meet my friend and his father halfway down. A younger Viking pulled off his cloak and tossed it to Hiccup to wrap around his half naked frame, He did so, glad for the warmth.

There was a lot of hand shaking, shoulder clapping and joy. Hiccup need not have worried about being pitied. He was their hero. I gave a happy snort of relief at that.

I heard a rush of wings and then saw a blue Magnesium Person and her Rider land neatly near our house. Ástríður saw me and winked at me as she dismounted from Skybird.

She put a finger to her lips and sneaked down the hill, heading towards the villagers.

Hiccup was now leaning against his father, taking in the friendly relationship between both Firemaker and the People while villagers talked happily to him. Stoick smiled at his son proudly.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Hiccup said softly

"It turns out all we needed was a little more of this." Stock waved a hand, encompassing the air space around my Rider.

"You- you just gestured to all of me." Said Hiccup. His voice was confused but also full of warmth.

I snorted softly. It seems like this "all of me" comment had at one time been meant as an insult about my friend's lack of possessing whatever everyone else had.

Ástríður had by now blended herself into the crowd of villagers. Skybird and I watched her.

_::Watch. You'll like this::_the Magnesium Person said.

I doubted it. I had a feeling I needed to train my Rider in some self defense maneuvers.

"Well, mostly all of you," I now saw Gobber limping up by the father and son. Perched on his shoulder was the Sticky Fire Person. The two of them had seemed to have bonded. Her quick and clever claws could be a big benefit at the black smith shop.

The blacksmith pointed at Hiccup's leg, and my Hiccup lifted the artificial leg up to look it over more.

"That bit was my handiwork," Gobber said proudly, "With a little Hiccup flair through and through!" He tapped the foot part of the prosthetic with his good hand, "I think ye'll like it, laddie. Ye can walk on it, but also it'll fit perfectly into a new pedal design that I've made for your dragon's saddle system!"

I made a promise to do an extra special favor for that blacksmith. Thanks to him we'd still be able to fly!

"So, d'ya like it, Hiccup?"

"Of course! But, well, I might make few tweaks."

Some people laughed, and I could only imagine what amazing things were going to appear on my harness and on his new leg over the next few months. I couldn't wait to see.

Ástríður had appeared from the crowd and stood front of Hiccup, the sun shining brightly on her braided golden hair.

**WHAM! **

She belted Hiccup across the right arm. He almost knocked down by the blow, but he caught himself in time, hissing in pain.

"That's for scaring me." Ástríður told Hiccup.

I flattened my ears. I will never understand Viking female humor.

I think Hiccup felt the same way "Whuh-what? Is it always going to be this way because I-?"

Then Ástríður reached out and grabbed Hiccup by the cloak where he had draped it around himself. She leaned in to him, threw her arms around him and kissed him fully on the lips.

I rolled my eyes, but I was secretly happy to see my Firemaker lean right into this kiss and savor it with all his brave heart.

"And that," said Ástríður, "Is for everything else."

If it were possible for Firemakers to fly, I think Hiccup would have been able to launch himself in the air at that point. He looked almost giddy with joy.

" I could get used to it." Hiccup's eyes were half closed in goofy happiness.

Gobber had dropped something behind him when he and his little Person had joined the group around the chief and his son. Now he picked it up and handed it to Hiccup. It was a neatly rolled bundle with a complete new saddle, harness and tail fin system. I noticed the tail fin was red and white in a familiar way.

Hiccup took the bundle, wobbling a bit with the new leg and dizziness, but he caught himself and smiled at the blacksmith.

"Welcome home, lad." Gobber said softly.

_All right. I want in on this shindig, too!_

I launched myself fully out of the house and glided down the hill. I wound up having to hop across the shoulders of a few Viking Firemakers as I did so.

"NIGHTFURYGETDOWN!"

This time the cry was a happy greeting, and I growl-barked back at my new friends.

I landed eventually across from my battle scarred Rider, sitting down on my haunches. I roared at him happily.

_::So, now that we've saved the world, Oh mighty Rider, What's next?::_

Hiccup grinned at me, deep happiness in his eyes. He stuck out a hand, remembering to balance himself on his new leg. I stuck my muzzle out and placed it in his hand.

"We conquer the universe," he told me, "But first I think I need to take a nap."

We did jump into the saddle and fly again. Just not that day. I could see my Rider was pale and wobbling on his feet, and I was not much better. One move the wrong way, and he'd faint flat out.

That's no way to treat a hero.

Instead he ate the first real solid food he'd had in in weeks and we both went back to sleep, but happier than we'd been in ages. I curled around him and I think we both dreamed of flight.

It was not many days after that, though, when the Elder proclaimed Hiccup was well enough to be able go up in the air with me.

We were both trembling in excitement on that wintry day as Hiccup fastened the new saddle (actually it was my old one but refitted and improved) and the harness on me. He was wearing new clothes some of the villagers had made for him- the same green tunic and leggings in design, but now there was some lovely knotwork of little leather Nightfurygetdowns on the sleeves and around the hems.

He laced on his own harness on then and slipped on a pair of mittens - it was getting cold, again, and the gray sky in the distance said snow would be coming later tonight. A woolen head band kept his shoulder length hair out of his eyes and his ears warm. He still had not yet made up his mind whether to cut his hair shorter again or let it grow back to its original shoulder-blade length braid. If he was going to be up in the air as much as we seemed to be, it might actually be better to have it shorter in the long run. He'd always been different from everyone else in the village. Why not flaunt it with pride?

I ducked down, kneeling just slightly on my left front leg so he could climb on board. He gave me an apologetic smile as he climbed aboard.

"I do plan on being able to jump aboard again- but I guess that'll have to wait for the prosthetic to be tweaked a bit more,'' he told me as he clipped himself into my harness. He pat me and gave me an affectionate punch in the shoulder.

We both watched in pleasure as he was able to slip the artificial foot into the new pedal- it was now like a slot that hooked into a gear shift system. We both found it awesome.

"I think I'm a gonna like this bad boy." I heard Hiccup whisper to me.

He opened out my tail fin with his foot pedal and I laughed, dragon style. It was a red fin with a white skull wearing a Viking helmet. Stitched across the breastband of my new harness was the red Sarmatian neck band with its own little horned white skulls. I like to they think they incluenced Gobber's design of my tailfin.

"Okay, you ready, buddy?" Hiccup's voice came down to me up on my back- just where he should be!

I growl-yipped back at him in eagerness, _::What do you think? The sky is waiting!::_

Next to us, Skybird and Ástríður paced, the Magnesium Person showing off her own new harness.

"Okay, let's go! You know the drill!" Hiccup called to me and pat my neck.

_::Point your nose up. Don't look down!::_

I launched myself into the air. The wind smacked back against me in a playful way, smelling just faintly of snow.

Behind us came Skybird and Ástríður, laughing in delight. We swooped, dove and played tag in the air, Skybird trying hard to keep up with me. It's a challenge. We Lightning People are the wind consolidated into dragon form.

We shot over people pulling in the last of root vegetable crops, taking down racks of dried salt fish and even just standing on their porches, enjoying a late morning mug of ale. One Firemaker wound up spluttering some ale up his nose as I dove overhead, the wind ricocheting off my wings, but he waved to Hiccup and I.

"Oh yeah, baby!" Hiccup yelled to the overcast sun as we shot higher, punching one of his arms in the air.

We passed by one of the bridges leading to the forest and there some of the other younglings had been waiting for us, along with the People who had bonded with them.

Soon we had a small contingent of Firemakers and People dancing and laughing and swirling through the sky.

Eventually Hiccup and I outflew the rest of them. You know- it's that Lightning Person obsession with speed. And, of course, being better than everyone else. We do, after all, have standards to maintain. (Just kidding!)

We wound up flying higher than the others, up where the air is a bit thinner, but the view is much better.

Our breath streamed behind us as we circled around the island, looking down. The ocean surrounded us on all sides.

I could only imagine what direction we would be heading in our future, but it looked like there were some very good choices. No matter what, we would face it together.

It was to be a short flight, and I could feel my wings getting a bit sore. My Rider was starting to get a bit dizzy, too.

So after we had a good long look at the lovely world spread below us, he pat my on the neck with a mitten covered hand, "All right, Toothless. Let's go. Let's go... home."

I took once last circle before we went in, though.

Now, if I were just like Hiccup I would probably be thinking something like this:

_This is Birch Island. It's foggy here 355 days of the year and there are ice storms the other 10 The fish that swim here are tough and tasteless. The People who den here are likewise. The only upside is the friends. Other places have Falcons or Foxhounds We have something better. We have... Firemakers_

But, since I am l'il ole me, I was thinking something different as we glided back to our home.

It really does make the difference to catch that unknown thermal of air and let it take you up higher in the sky.

The view you may see when you look down is one that will change your life for the better.

Fair winds and fly well, my friends.

* * *

_A broken wing cannot stop me from flying,_

_I leave no footprints when you're around._

_'Know yourself' you said, you made me so proud of_

_what I found..._

_Thank you._

_Thank you for the world (''the world, the world'')._

_Thank you for the light, for making me see,_

_inside of me. _ - "Thank You" by Dikta, an Icelandic alternative group.

* * *

**A/N- All the chapter names are puns taken from the names of Robert Heinlein's novels and short stories. They are:**

**To Sail Beyond the Sunset- Being the Memoirs of a Somewhat Irregular Lady**

**Chapter 1: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress**

**Chapter 2: Life is Short but the Years Are Long This is actually not a novel but a call sign the protagonists of several of Heinlein's novels used to identify themselves to each other. It is a deliberate mistranslation of a famous phrase by Hiccocrates (_Ars Longa, Vita Brevis Est_- Life is short, but the art endures)**

**Chapter 3: Between Planets**

**Chapter 4: Stranger in a Strange Land**

**Chapter 5: The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (this book contains one of my favorite characters: Pixel the teleporting house cat. He appears in several novels.)**

**Chapter 6: Have Space Suit- Will Travel**

**Chapter 7: Tunnel in the Sky**

**Chapter 8: Orphans of the Stars**

**Chapter 9: For Us- the Living**

**Chapter 10: Time Enough For the Stars**

**Chapter 11: The Number of the Beast**

**Chapter 12: Job: A Comedy of Justice**

**Chapter 13: Friday**

**Chapter 14: The Door into Summer**


End file.
